Women and girls bear the brunt of the climate crisis and often design the solutions, yet only 8 out of the 78 world leaders participating in COP29 are women: while the Conference of Parties (COP) strive to be an inclusive summit, the negotiation table remains far from diverse.
Delegations at the United Nations’ Framework Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) are consistently increasing in numbers, but women’s representation has stagnated and even decreased. At COP28 in 2023, women were 15 out of the 133 world leaders and only 34% of national delegates, with a mere 2% of delegations having a gender balance in their ranks. These numbers have remained relatively unchanged over the past decade, highlighting ongoing challenges in achieving gender parity in climate negotiations.
The underrepresentation of women leaders at the top table of COP29 is mirrored across all levels of climate decision making. Yet, evidence clearly show that women amplify solutions and drive adaptation initiatives around the globe, including with innovative agricultural practises or water management techniques. Women’s knowledge and perspective increase communities’ resilience and should have a seat – and a say – at the negotiation table.
Helen Pankhurst, senior advisor on gender equality at CARE International UK, said:
“Once again, women are being silenced and cut out of critical negotiations around the climate catastrophe and the future of our planet. Women and girls are contributing the least to the climate crisis, yet world-over they are paying the highest price. If we want to see a fair outcome from climate negotiations, which make a genuine difference, we’ve got to start seeing women represented equally at the very highest levels.”
Rosa van Driel, Policy Advisor Climate Justice for CARE Netherlands, said:
"The climate crisis is driven by political and economic policies decided by predominantly male-led governments. When women's insights are ignored, we miss out on solutions that are fairer and more sustainable. Evidence shows that gender-equitable decision-making at all levels leads to more effective climate governance and helps to close adaptation gaps and avoid maladaptation initiatives that do more harm than good.”
Francesca Rhodes, Senior Policy Adviser on Climate and Gender at CARE International UK, said:
''Climate change is sexist. At every level, there is gender inequality in decision making around how to tackle the climate crisis, whilst at the same time the impacts are being felt strongest by women and girls already facing poverty and marginalisation. We need world leaders to ensure the priorities and experiences of those on the frontlines are what drives outcomes at COP. The UK Government has an opportunity to put its promises into action, for example, though ensuring crucial climate finance better reaches women and women's rights organisations in communities tackling the climate crisis."
Titilope Gbemisola Akosa, Founding Executive Director, Centre for 21st Issues (CARE Partner), said:
"In Nigeria, women and girls are already experiencing the worst impacts of climate change. Yet they are the ones leading the charge in tackling these impacts in their communities, and creating solutions for how best to adapt. We need the expertise, experience and perspectives that women bring; it’s critical that their work on the ground, and their effective leadership, is brought to the table in an international setting. To shut them out yet again, as the world stands on the precipice of irreversible damage from climate change, is unacceptable.”
Notes for editors
The number is taken from the COP29 family photo, which can be accessed here.
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For all media enquiries, please contact Carey Ellis on ellis@careinternational.org
