As the world’s attention shifts to the lush, ecologically vital landscape of Belém, Brazil, for the thirtieth United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties, known as COP30, a critical debate is unfolding behind the scenes of high-level negotiations. At the heart of this global gathering is a demand that transcends mere environmental policy: the call for a climate framework that recognizes gender equality not as an afterthought, but as the foundation of sustainable survival. UN Women, the global champion for gender equality, has arrived in Brazil with a clear and urgent mandate: the adoption of a transformative, well-funded, and rigorously accountable Gender Action Plan (GAP). This framework is not simply a bureaucratic requirement; it is the roadmap that will determine whether the next decade of climate action empowers half the world’s population or leaves them further behind in the wake of an escalating environmental crisis.
The stakes in Belém could not be higher. For years, the international community has grappled with the reality that climate change is far from gender-neutral. From the drying fields of sub-Saharan Africa to the flood-prone deltas of Southeast Asia, the impacts of a warming planet are filtered through existing social and economic inequalities. Women and marginalized groups are disproportionately represented among those displaced by extreme weather, those suffering from acute food insecurity, and those losing their traditional livelihoods. In this context, the adoption of a robust GAP at COP30 is viewed by advocates as a strategic imperative. It is the mechanism intended to ensure that every dollar spent on climate adaptation and every policy drafted for carbon mitigation considers the specific needs, leadership, and expertise of women. According to UN Women, the decisions made in Brazil will dictate whether gender equality remains a central pillar of the UN climate process or if it risks slipping into the margins of global discourse.
The urgency of this moment is underscored by the voices of those leading the charge. Sarah Hendriks, the Director of the Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division at UN Women, has been vocal about the risks of inaction. She warns that a failure to secure a strong Gender Action Plan would constitute a significant regression for human rights and gender equality. Hendriks emphasizes that neglecting to formalize women’s leadership and experience in the climate fight would signal to the world that these contributions are expendable—a mistake the planet can ill afford. The history of this movement provides a backdrop for the current tension; the first Gender Action Plan, established in 2017, was a landmark achievement that began the difficult work of embedding gender considerations into the core of the UNFCCC. It paved the way for gender-responsive finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building. Now, however, the international community faces the challenge of evolving that initial framework into something far more potent and actionable.
To understand the necessity of this plan, one must look at the “frontlines” often cited by policy experts. Consider the experience of women like Rhoda Lukaria in Laikipia County, Kenya. On her family farm, she utilizes climate-smart agricultural techniques to harvest vegetables amidst increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. Her story is a microcosm of a larger global reality: women are often the primary managers of natural resources and the first responders to environmental shifts in their communities. Yet, they frequently lack the legal rights to the land they farm or the financial capital to invest in resilient technologies. A transformative GAP aims to bridge this gap, ensuring that women are not just seen as victims of climate change but as the architects of its solutions. UN Women is calling on participating nations to adopt a plan that is not only visionary but also backed by the financial resources necessary to move from rhetoric to reality.
Adding a data-driven edge to the negotiations at COP30 is the launch of the Gender Equality and Climate Policy Scorecard. Developed in partnership between UN Women and the Kaschak Institute for Social Justice for Women and Girls, this pioneering tool offers a sobering look at how national governments are currently performing. The Scorecard measures the extent to which gender inequalities are addressed within Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)—the specific climate action plans that countries are required to submit under the Paris Agreement. The initial analysis, which scrutinized the NDCs of 32 countries, reveals a complex and often disappointing landscape. While there is a general acknowledgement that women are disproportionately vulnerable to climate shocks, there is a glaring lack of recognition regarding their potential as leaders in climate innovation.
The findings of the Scorecard highlight a significant disconnect between high-level promises and granular policy commitments. The analysis examined six key dimensions: economic security, unpaid care work, health, gender-based violence (GBV), participation and leadership, and gender mainstreaming. While some progress has been noted in the realm of economic security, other vital areas are being neglected. For instance, the intersection of climate change and gender-based violence is rarely addressed in national climate plans, despite evidence that environmental stressors often lead to increased domestic violence and child marriage. Similarly, the burden of unpaid care work—which typically increases for women during climate-induced water or food shortages—remains largely invisible in the policy documents of most nations.
The Scorecard does, however, offer some glimmers of hope. Ten countries across five diverse regions are being hailed as leaders for their comprehensive approach, integrating gender considerations across nearly all six dimensions of the analysis. These nations serve as a blueprint for what is possible when political will meets social justice. Conversely, the data shows that sixteen of the 32 countries analyzed take a limited or only moderately comprehensive approach, while six countries have made no commitments whatsoever to future gender-responsive action in their NDCs. This disparity highlights the “implementation gap” that UN Women hopes the new GAP will address. The Scorecard will be a focal point of discussion during a high-level side event on November 20, hosted in partnership with the Government of Liberia, titled “Gender-Responsive Climate Action: Unleashing and Accelerating Implementation of the Paris Agreement.”
The broader vision for COP30 involves moving beyond the idea of “inclusion” as a mere seat at the table. For UN Women and its partners, true climate justice requires that women—particularly Indigenous and rural women who possess deep traditional knowledge of biodiversity—are empowered to lead the decision-making process. The organization argues that when women are involved in climate governance, the resulting policies are often more sustainable and community-oriented. By centering the rights of women and girls, the UNFCCC can ensure that the transition to a green economy is just and inclusive, rather than one that reinforces old hierarchies. This is the “defining moment” Sarah Hendriks speaks of: a chance to reaffirm that gender equality is not a fringe concern for the “soft” side of policy, but a central pillar of effective and hard-nosed climate strategy.
As the negotiations in Belém continue, the mandate for global leaders is clear. The adoption of a well-funded and accountable Gender Action Plan is the litmus test for the success of COP30. It represents a commitment to a future where the fight against global warming is inseparable from the fight for human rights. UN Women’s presence at the summit serves as a constant reminder that the integrity of multilateral climate governance depends on its ability to serve the most vulnerable and to harness the leadership of the most resilient. In a world of rising temperatures and shifting borders, the message from Brazil is unequivocal: there can be no climate justice without gender equality, and there can be no sustainable future that leaves half of humanity behind.
The work of UN Women extends far beyond the halls of the COP30 pavilions. As the lead United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality, the organization works year-round to shift laws, transform institutions, and challenge social behaviors that perpetuate the gender gap. By keeping the rights of women and girls at the center of global progress, UN Women aims to build a world where equality is the standard, not the exception. In the context of the climate crisis, this mission has never been more vital. As the summit progresses, the eyes of the world—and the hopes of millions of women on the frontlines—are on Belém, waiting for a signal that their leadership is finally being recognized as the essential force it truly is.
