UNDP-OECD CROSS REGIONAL DIALOGUE IN

ISTANBUL, TÜRKIYE

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

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 “Gender equality is both a human right
and a powerful tool to achieve our
climate and environmental objectives.”
ULRIK V. KNUDSEN
Deputy Secretary-General, OECD
Opening speech at the "Investing for Gender Equality
and Inclusive Climate Action: Cross-Regional Dialogue"
17 October 2024

“We argue that transitions to net-zero

economies and action at scale on climate
need to be a just and inclusive process,
and that women’s role is huge, but under-
represented and un-recognised.”
IVANA ŽIVKOVIĆ
Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, UNDP Assistant
Administrator, Director, Regional Bureau for Europe and the
Commonwealth of Independent States, UNDP
Opening speech at the "Investing for Gender Equality and Inclusive
Climate Action: Cross-Regional Dialogue"
17 October 2024

“There is a need for the just transition to

recognize care as a public good. At UNDP,
we are working with an increasing
number of countries to develop and
expand comprehensive care systems.”
RAQUEL LAGUNAS
Global Director of Gender Equality, UNDP
Remarks at the "Investing for Gender Equality and
Inclusive Climate Action: Cross-Regional Dialogue"
17 October 2024

Photo: UNDP-OECD Cross Regional Dialogue, October 2024, Session on C:imate Finance
Introduction
The global shift toward net-zero, climate-resilient, circular, and nature positive economies
represents a critical opportunity to advance equality in our political, social, and economic
systems. Empowering women in climate solutions can accelerate this transition and deliver
long-term benefits. Without this focus, we risk deepening inequalities and hindering global
progress.

Gender equality should be a fundamental component of climate policies, strategies, and

financing mechanisms. Global frameworks like the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda
offer a unique opportunity to align climate goals with gender equality goals, promoting
sustainable and inclusive development. However, achieving these goals requires
collaboration and decisive action. We need to enhance gender data, build capacity, and
significantly increase investments to ensure sustainable progress. By working together
across sectors and tracking results, we can turn commitments into impactful actions.

With this aim as our North Star, the UNDP in Europe and the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS) and OECD Istanbul Centre, in partnership with Government of
Türkiye, organised the “Investing for Gender Equality and Inclusive Climate Action: Cross
Regional Dialogue” that took place on 17-18th October 2024 in Istanbul (Türkiye). Over 250
attendees from parliaments, governments, private sector, and international development
organisations, coming from more than 40 countries and territories, discussed key
recommendations for supporting a gender-responsive climate action.

This UNDP-OECD cross-regional dialogue provided a platform to exchange policy

experiences, guidelines, good practices, and other tools from around the world. This
document highlights the key actionable policy recommendations identified during the
“Investing for Gender Equality and Inclusive Climate Action: Cross Regional Dialogue”.

Together, let's inspire all policy agendas for a gender-responsive and just transition!

Photo: UNDP-OECD Cross Regional Dialogue, October 2024

1
Women’s leadership for just transition
and inclusive climate action
Context
Women play a transformative role in driving a gender-responsive green transition that
fosters inclusivity and equity. Achieving this requires a comprehensive approach that
emphasises diversity, education, and accessibility, while ensuring that women’s leadership
is integrated across all dimensions of just transition and climate action. Actively engaging
women in decision-making, resource allocation, and impact assessments is essential to
embed gender equality throughout this shift. Such a transition requires policies that not
only address environmental sustainability but also tackle structural barriers to unleash
women’s full potential, including limited access to finance, gender-based violence, and
underrepresentation in leadership roles. This is particularly critical in sectors like energy,
where inclusive growth hinges on dismantling these barriers. A truly resilient and inclusive
transition must also recognise that women and men are impacted differently, due to
existing inequalities, social roles and economic opportunities. It must promote women’s
economic empowerment and leadership, and address intersecting vulnerabilities,
particularly for those in informal sectors, rural communities, and high-risk zones facing the
severe impacts of climate change and environmental degradation.

Key policy recommendations

Design and implement gender-responsive climate policies. Ensure that national
and regional climate strategies are data-driven, and apply a feminist lens in gender
analyses and assessments. Prioritise cross-ministerial, multi-stakeholder
collaboration to ensure interconnected challenges, such as unpaid care work,
poverty, and low STEM participation, are mainstreamed into gender-responsive
climate policies.

Expand opportunities for women to lead in transitioning sectors. Create financing

mechanisms to support women-led SMEs and strengthen financial literacy
programmes. Improve women’s access to risk-sharing facilities and address land
ownership and relevant barriers to increase borrowing capacities, particularly for
women-led SMEs.

Promote STEM education and skills for the green transition. Invest in gender-
responsive STEM education to prepare women for leadership roles in the green
transition. Offer targeted mentorship and capacity-building programmes to support
women’s advancement in high-value, high-demand sectors.

Recognise women as agents of change. Leverage women’s distinct skill sets,

networks, and local expertise to enhance disaster risk management strategies.
 Promote men's commitment through gender-responsive leadership: Emphasise
that gender equality is a collective responsibility, requiring men leaders to actively
support feminist policies. Advocate for gender-responsive leadership as a necessary
skill for all leaders, regardless of gender, ensuring that men leaders are champions
of gender equality and actively implement policies that support women’s rights and
climate resilience.

Good practices
Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan has made significant strides in promoting women’s participation
in energy research and policymaking. Women represent 53 percent of the research staff
on energy issues, and the country is actively investing in STEM education for women and
girls to enhance their leadership potential in the green transition.

Moldova: Moldova’s transition to a green economy is supported by a cross-ministerial

model to ensure interconnected policymaking, with a focus on empowering rural women.
This approach prioritises needs assessments, providing training, knowledge, and
sustainable finance to advance gender-responsive economic development.

Sweden: Sweden has been a pioneer in integrating gender-responsive climate action

across all levels of policymaking. The country mandates comprehensive gender
assessments within its national climate strategies, addressing gender-based vulnerabilities
and ensuring that women’s needs are prioritized.

Photo: UNDP Kazakhstan

2
Integrating gender equality in STEM for
better just transition outcomes

Context
The transition to a greener economy, driven by advancements in Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), presents both opportunities and challenges for
gender equality. Despite the growing demand for green jobs, women remain
underrepresented in STEM, a trend reinforced by social norms and entrenched gender
stereotypes. Girls’ interest in STEM can decline as young as 12 years old due to social
factors. Two-thirds of green jobs are held by men, with only one in ten women considered
green talent, whilst a mere 21 per cent of women hold executive roles in renewable
energy. Structural barriers, including wage disparity, limited social capital, and
misalignment between education and green job skills, worsen this gap.

Key policy recommendations

Adapt curricula for gender-responsive, green labour market alignment. Integrate
gender-responsive curricula starting at the primary school level, mandating
foundational STEM education. Structure programmes to highlight emerging green
industries, ensuring they prepare students with critical skills that align with current
and future labour market needs.

Engage public-private partnerships to create TVET programmes with mentorship

for women. Develop public-private partnerships to launch Technical and Vocational
Education and Training (TVET) programmes aligned with green job requirements,
incorporating mentorship tailored for women and girls.

Activate multistakeholder collaboration for career guidance and job-matching.

Establish collaborative programmes with universities, companies, and government
bodies to provide career guidance, job-matching, and training for women,
specifically targeting high-growth, higher-paying green sectors.

Invest in women entrepreneurs in STEM and green sectors. A higher share of

women managers results in a larger decline in carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore,
increase targeted investments and incentives to support women entrepreneurs in
STEM fields, such as biotechnology and artificial intelligence, emphasising eco-
innovation and sustainable practices.
 Hire women for green jobs through career development and reskilling
programmes. Design and implement targeted recruitment and reskilling initiatives to
transition women into green jobs, with a focus on sectors where demand is
expected to grow. Launch a broad-reaching public awareness campaign to reshape
entrenched gender norms that track women away from pursuing and advancing in
careers in STEM and green sectors.

Implement workplace policies that support women’s advancement into leadership

roles. Incentivise green-sector companies to adopt policies promoting gender
equality in leadership, with specific metrics for advancing women to senior roles.

Good practices
Tajikistan: Empowered women in agriculture, where men usually dominate purchasing
roles, through specialised training programmes aimed at improving women's technical
skills and leadership in green and agricultural sectors.

EU STEM Coalition: Developed a model of collaboration between government,

companies, and educational institutions across Europe, creating networks that promote
STEM inclusion for women and supporting long-term career development in green
technologies.

Photo: UNDP Kosovo*

3
Greening of the labour markets and
implications for gender equality

Context
As our economies are greening, we are transforming high-emission sectors, which leads to
a downsizing of the polluting, so-called “brown” jobs. At the same time, we are fostering
the growth of climate friendlier sectors and expanding the employment opportunities in so-
called “green” jobs. This transition, however, poses challenges - especially for groups in
vulnerable situations, including women. Today, green jobs appear to be male-dominated
and relatively high-paid. The climate friendlier sectors are also showing signs of growing
gender segregation. Evidence shows that currently women have lower likelihood of
transitioning into a green job and are therefore at higher risk of bearing negative
consequences of the green transition, if no gender-responsive efficient transition
mechanisms are put in place.

Key policy recommendations

Promote intersection of gender-responsive labour policies and gender-responsive
climate policies. The integration of gender equality in all steps of policymaking,
while identifying and taking into account the intersections between climate change
and labour market policies, is crucial for ensuring that the transition to net-zero
emissions is a just transition. For this purpose, the decision-making process should
be inclusive and participatory, also by fostering collective bargaining and social
dialogue among different stakeholders.

Monitor the labour market changes in the green transition with quality, gender-
disaggregated, data. Developing a knowledge base, based on quality gender-
disaggregated data, about green jobs and related skill sets would allow timely
monitoring and assessment of the effects of the green transition on changing skills
needs as well on the labour market opportunities for women.

Promote gender-equal transitions to green jobs. With data and knowledge as a

base, tailor targeted investments in upskilling and reskilling programmes, as well as
career guidance, to ensure that women possess necessary skills and are efficiently
matched to the skills demands in emerging sectors.
 Ensure job quality for an inclusive green economy. It is necessary to design and
implement timely gender-responsive measures that can ensure earnings quality,
labour market security, and the quality of the working environment in a green
economy, in order to avoid perpetuating existing gender inequalities. This includes
measures to close the gender wage gap, reduce the unemployment risk of women,
and promote flexible working-time arrangements for the benefit of work-life balance.

Foster regional and cross-regional cooperation. Governments should work

together to develop comprehensive green finance strategies and enhance regional
and cross-regional cooperation to share knowledge, technology, and resources.
Net-zero transition is a global process and collaborative efforts between nations can
strengthen green job creation and help overcome the financial and non-financial
barriers towards a just transition.

Good practices
Bosnia and Herzegovina: During recent floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the country
adopted a coordinated approach by integrating environmental considerations and crisis
management into its 4th Gender Action Plan (GAP). The measures under the 4th GAP aim
to promote gender and social equality at all segments of environmental management as
well as economic empowerment of vulnerable social groups, especially women, also in the
areas of green entrepreneurship, recycling, and waste reuse. These measures foresee
activities such as the provision of support in the form of grants to the production and
market placement of ecologically healthy food.

Estonia: Estonia has demonstrated substantial progress in recent years toward promoting
work-life balance and job flexibility among working mothers, leading to an increase in the
employment rate of women with children under the age of 2. Some of these measures
include generous maternity and parental leave, totalling 605 days, as well as supportive
work conditions for breastfeeding mothers that allow them paid breaks for breastfeeding,
and creation of workplace facilities for pumping and milk storage.

Photo: UNDP Turkmenistan

4
The transition that “cares” - from jobs to
inclusive economies

Context
A just transition to an equitable, green economy must be built on the intersection of
climate action and gender equality, supported by a robust care infrastructure. Women
disproportionately bear the burden of unpaid care work, which intensifies during climate-
induced crises such as extreme weather events. This work is essential to both society and
the economy, yet remains undervalued and largely invisible. In crisis contexts like Ukraine,
the pressures on women are exacerbated by overlapping challenges, including an
increase in persons with disabilities, which strains health and welfare systems. The
unequal distribution of unpaid care work limits women’s ability to join the labour market or
advance in their careers, restricting their economic independence and hindering their
contributions to the green transition. Establishing well-funded and comprehensive care
systems is crucial to sustaining resilient societies, empowering women and enabling their
full participation in climate action, and ensuring a sustainable and inclusive green
economy. Without adequate support and resources for care, the potential for gender-
responsive and inclusive green transition and climate action is undermined.

Key policy recommendations

Include care in NDCs and actively engage women in NAP processes.
Governments should ensure that care-related issues, including the disproportionate
burden on women, are considered in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
under the UNFCCC framework, and actively engage women in National Adaptation
Plan (NAP) processes, to strengthen the outcomes of adaptation actions.

Invest in care systems. Governments should prioritise investments in

comprehensive care systems that provide accessible, quality, and affordable
childcare, elderly, and disability care services. By addressing these interconnected
needs, such investments can alleviate the burden of unpaid care work, promote
women's participation in the workforce, and create formal job opportunities within
the care economy.

Promote gender-equitable education and policy frameworks. It is necessary to

reshape discriminatory social norms from early childhood through education
reforms, ensuring that care work is seen as a shared societal responsibility, not a
gendered one. This shift also lays the foundation for more gender-equitable policies
across sectors, fostering a culture where care work is valued and seen as part of
collective well-being, enabling broader participation of both women and men in the
workforce.
 Formalise care work and improve social protection. Formalising care work and
enhancing social protection can improve working conditions, training opportunities,
and job placements in the care economy. By recognizing care as a vital economic
sector, governments can elevate its value and ensure decent work for women and
men in the care sector.

Good practices
Ukraine: Ukraine has adopted people-centric and gender-responsive policies, including
investments in psychosocial support services, which not only address care economy
issues but also create job opportunities. The use of digital technologies for service delivery
is helping manage care burdens while innovating the provision of care services.

North Macedonia: A collaborative process between UNDP and the Government has
succeeded in formalising care work, reducing women’s unpaid care burdens, and creating
job opportunities in the care sector. The process involves two main components: soft
measures supporting social inclusion, such as services for the elderly and people with
disabilities, and a more complex model addressing the care needs of long-term ill
individuals. This includes formalising care work and enhancing the quality of care,
including through training and by licensing NGOs as service providers.

Photo: UNDP Serbia

5
Mainstreaming gender in the G20

Context
The G20 “25x25” Brisbane Target to reduce the gap in women’s labour market
participation by 25 per cent by year 2025 has spurred national policy actions, peer
learning, and the sharing of good practices across G20 countries. Since 2014, all G20
nations have introduced policies to improve women’s labour market access, enhance
STEM skills, support work-life balance, and address workplace violence and harassment,
although more work remains to be done. Key factors behind the target's success include
its ambitious yet attainable goals, time-bound and measurable structure, high-level
endorsement by G20 Leaders, and a robust reporting mechanism which includes the
annual progress tracking carried out by the ILO and OECD. With the expiry of the Brisbane
Goal in 2025, there is an opportunity to drive forward a decisive and comprehensive G20
gender equality agenda, to foster women’s participation in the green economy, address
the disproportionate impact on women of climate-related disasters and to design gender-
responsive climate finance programmes.

Key policy recommendations

Promote international action to address the climate-gender nexus predicated on
equal labour market participation for women in the green economy. With the
expiry of the Brisbane Goal in 2025, G20 countries should identify a follow-up target
to continue spurring concrete policy action, such as by focusing on the gender pay
gap. COP delegates should consider adopting the existing G20 Brisbane target, and
the potential follow-on target, as well as explore how these targets can be achieved
in the green economy, which has the propensity to be a vehicle for women’s
increased economic participation.

Climate finance should better address the gender-climate nexus. To enhance the
impact of climate finance in addressing the interaction of gender and climate
outcomes, G20 countries should collectively commit to gender-responsive climate
finance strategies, tailored to support women-run, green small businesses and to
recognise the unique barriers, such as limited access to capital and restricted
financial resources due to social or structural inequalities, that those businesses
face. The intersectional nature of inequality and discrimination should also be
considered in tailoring climate finance to cultivate gender/climate outcomes.

G20 countries should leverage their strategic position to advocate for gender-
responsive climate finance programmes. This includes grants, low-interest loans, or
microfinancing models that provide targeted support to women entrepreneurs in the
green economy.
G20 countries should commit to policy action on setting standards for gender-
disaggregated reporting within climate finance projects. This would allow for a
better understanding of how funds are being allocated and their impact on gender
equality, enabling better-informed adjustments to funding models.

Improve approaches amongst G20 countries to mitigate for the disproportionate

impact on women of climate-related disasters in disaster resilience and response
efforts. This includes the asymmetric impact on women of climate-related disasters
due to women’s relative employment insecurity, and the increased care burden
borne by women of supporting impacted relatives. Inequality in the security of work
available to men and women should be addressed and the care economy should be
formalised and professionalised in disaster contexts.

Photo: UNDP Montenegro

6
Climate finance

Context
There are significant gaps in climate finance, particularly in addressing the needs of
women and vulnerable populations. Despite the availability of funds, there is a lack of
gender-responsive investments, with finance concentrated in mitigation projects and
geographically uneven. Public investments in gender-inclusive climate action remain
essential, yet private sector engagement must be leveraged to scale good practices.
Collaboration between public and private sectors holds potential for advancing gender
equity, but aligning climate and gender goals remains a challenge. Key issues include the
need for leveraging funds and embedding a gender lens in public and private climate
financing systems.

Key policy recommendations

Institutionalise gender-responsive budgeting. Ensure public financial systems
incorporate gender-responsive climate finance strategies. Taxation systems should
be leveraged to support inclusive, gender-sensitive climate actions, driving
investments in mitigation and adaptation efforts that address social and
environmental goals.

Expand public-private partnerships. Engage with gender-sensitive companies to

catalyse transformative change in sectors like clean energy and sustainable
infrastructure. Central banks should incorporate gender and climate risks into their
financial stability assessments, supporting both equity and sustainability. This
approach requires capacity building to ensure financial institutions can meet these
dual objectives.

Develop gender-climate finance standards. Develop and disseminate practical

toolkits and indicators, particularly in manufacturing and water management sectors
to help guide inclusive practices. Instruments like green bonds should be linked to
gender objectives, providing opportunities to align financial flows with sustainability
and gender equality.

Implement carbon tax to drive the shift toward greener technologies. Though
traditionally gender-blind, carbon taxes offer opportunities to incorporate a gender
lens into projects and initiatives that benefit both climate action and gender equality.
Private sector actors increasingly view this as a marketing opportunity, but it can also
be harnessed as a tool for systemic transformation.
 Design mitigation and adaptation programmes to focus strategically on
promoting a green economy and gender equality, especially in social inclusion
and protection. Financial ecosystems, supported by internal and external funds, can
drive innovation and support SMEs, women entrepreneurs, and women in STEM.
This comprehensive approach, from planning to evaluation, ensures that available
funding leverages a gender lens for a just transition.

Good practices
Costa Rica: In Costa Rica, the Payment for Environmental Services Programme is a
successful mechanism for forest recovery and conservation, addressing issues such as
greenhouse gas mitigation, water resource protection, and biodiversity. Affirmative actions
have been introduced to ensure women’s participation. Tools like the Gender Equality
Award enable women to access loans with favourable terms, such as mortgages under
9,000 USD for rural production projects. Programmes like the Green Business Fund and
Inclusive Sustainable Development Funds provide further financial support, allowing
women to contribute to the green economy and enhance their financial standing.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD): EBRD has set a 40
per cent target for gender equality and 50 per cent for climate finance within its Green
Economy Transition programme. In Türkiye, the EBRD partners with universities to
enhance skills in green energy sectors, benefiting women students. Furthermore, the
EBRD supports several bankable projects focused on renewable energy and green
infrastructure, promoting gender inclusion while addressing sector-specific challenges,
such as safety and capacity building for women.

Photo: UNDP North Macedonia

7
Taking stock of gender equality and
intersectionality in the climate action
plans: seizing the opportunity to
increase ambition in the NDC 3.0

Context
While many countries and territories have committed to gender-responsive climate action
through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), translating these commitments into
on-the-ground impact remains challenging. Structural barriers prevent marginalised
women’s groups from accessing essential finance, limiting their ability to lead community-
based climate solutions. Women are also underrepresented in climate policy and NDC
planning processes, weakening the effectiveness of policies in addressing gender-specific
impacts. In sectors such as agriculture, energy, and the green economy, women face
unique constraints. This requires cross-sectoral, intersectional approaches to fully
integrate gender equality and ensure that NDC 3.0 delivers on its ambitious climate
targets, including net-zero and enhanced resilience.

Key policy recommendations

Integrate gender equality and social inclusion considerations in NDC and climate
policies to take into account differentiated impacts while also helping to achieve or
promote gender equality and social inclusion.

Strengthen inter-institutional coordination to apply gender equality priorities

consistently across sectors. This includes establishing inter-ministerial and
multilevel coordination mechanisms such as interagency/inter-ministerial committees
that promote gender-responsive, socially inclusive policy decision-making processes
as part of the whole-of-government approach.

Increase climate finance for women-led initiatives and vulnerable groups. Develop
targeted funding mechanisms, such as small grants, to enable women’s groups and
local organisations to implement inclusive climate projects as well as build capacities
for gender responsive budgeting and to develop inclusive strategies and investment
plans to strengthen access to finance for women and vulnerable groups to promote
equitable climate action.

Expand women’s representation in decision-making. Establish councils and

working groups that include non-state actors, including women entrepreneurs and
community leaders, in NDC planning so they can actively contribute to decision-
making processes and climate solutions.
 Leverage private sector and multi-stakeholder partnerships. Engage the private
sector in gender-responsive budgeting and green job creation to support women in
the transition to a green economy.

Good practices
Kyrgyzstan: In 2024, Kyrgyzstan endorsed a state programme to promote women’s
leadership, recognising the transformative impact women have on their communities. This
programme builds on the National Kurultai of Women Leaders, a platform supported by
UNDP to strengthen women’s leadership and create safe, empowering spaces for women
across the country. Kurultai gatherings were held in all seven regions, engaging over 700
women leaders from local communities. In Issyk Kul, women leaders highlighted pressing
environmental issues and climate challenges unique to their region. Their advocacy
informed members of parliament on the importance of including women’s perspectives in
climate action, ultimately promoting gender-sensitive policy solutions that support
community wellbeing and resilience.

North Macedonia: The Women’s Entrepreneurship Network integrates gender-responsive

goals into the national SME strategy. Through regional green transition projects, local
councils for women in green cities, and targeted training for women entrepreneurs, this
network drives sustainable economic opportunities for women while advancing North
Macedonia’s climate goals.

Photo: UNDP Kyrgyzstan

 8 Parallel sectoral discussions on
advancing gender equality in climate
change mitigation and adaptation
The following sections outline sector-specific insights on advancing gender equality in
climate adaptation, drawn from discussions in agriculture, education, energy, health, and
peace and security. Despite sectoral differences, discussions consistently converged
around three primary themes essential for systemic change:

Social norms:
Persistent social norms limit women’s participation and
influence across all sectors, constraining their roles in both
formal and informal structures.

Access:
Barriers to finance, education, skills development, and
support for care responsibilities hinder women’s ability to
engage fully and equitably in climate change mitigation
and adaptation efforts.

Agency:
Lack of representation and limited involvement in decision-
making processes restrict women’s agency, reducing the
effectiveness and inclusivity of climate policies.

These themes highlight cross-cutting challenges and targeted areas for intervention to
drive meaningful gender equality in climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts
across sectors.

Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan

 Agriculture
Policy recommendations
Ensure that climate funding and disaster planning actively support equal
opportunities for women by improving their access to financial support, training, and
technology, and by involving them directly in policy and community decision-making
to build resilient communities.

Provide women with access to digital tools and emerging technologies—such as

drones for crop monitoring and mobile apps for climate alerts—to increase
productivity and resilience.

Establish community-based technology hubs to enhance access to advanced tools

and foster shared use among women farmers.

Strengthen partnerships with grassroots women’s organisations to deliver peer-led

training in climate resilience and agricultural good practices, building local
leadership and empowering women to lead adaptation efforts.

Photo: UNDP Belarus

 Education
Policy recommendations
Prioritise education in climate strategies. Ensure that Nationally Determined
Contributions (NDCs) explicitly acknowledge the role of education, particularly girls'
education, in advancing climate goals.

Embed gender equality and climate skills across education. Integrate gender
equality and climate skills from early education through secondary school to build
foundational STEM, digital, and AI competencies.

Align education with workforce needs. Adapt curricula to equip students with
relevant skills for a changing world, linking education and lifelong learning with
practical applications in green and digital jobs.

Empower girls as leaders in the transition to green economies. Position girls not only
as participants in green sectors but as leaders driving community resilience and
sustainable economic transformation.

Leverage technology for gender-responsiveness climate solutions. Increase

technology use in education and communities, especially in rural areas, to promote
climate action and gender equality.

Photo: UNDP Moldova

 Energy Sector
Policy recommendations
Create opportunities for women’s participation in the energy sector value chain.
Promote skilling and upskilling opportunities for women and facilitate direct access
for women to invest in renewable and efficient energy technologies, including those
that address time poverty and expand their economic opportunities.

Provide governance frameworks that encourage women’s participation in energy

planning and decision-making.

Promote a systemic approach designed to mitigate energy poverty, particularly

among vulnerable communities, by integrating gender perspectives into broader
energy and economic strategies, including those related to social protection.

Support a just energy transition by maximising inclusive economic benefits, easing

household burdens through accessible energy technology, and preparing
economies to manage trade-offs and prevent backlash against women.

Photo: UNDP Türkiye

 Health
Policy recommendations
Integrate gender in health and climate policy decision-making. Ensure women’s
representation in high-level health and climate policymaking to address the
significant role of women in healthcare and mitigate the impacts of climate on health
and gender dynamics.

Promote women’s leadership in climate-health strategies. Support women’s

leadership on the community level for health and climate preparedness to build
resilience and address gender-based violence risks worsened by climate change.

Enhance data collection and gender-sensitive climate reporting to support evidence-

based policy and enhance global comparability. Use this data to track climate
impacts on health and gender-based vulnerabilities, with a focus on maternal health
and gender-based violence in climate-affected regions.

Foster collaboration among health, climate, and development sectors, ensuring that
adaptation and mitigation plans are gender-responsive. Prioritise funding and
technical assistance for projects that align health, climate adaptation, and gender
equality to maximise resilience and empower women in affected communities.

Photo: UNDP-OECD Cross Regional Dialogue, October 2024

Women, climate and peace
Policy recommendations
Establish robust information systems for crisis communication, prevention, and
awareness, with targeted messaging.

Conduct analysis of displaced women due to climate change, including treatment

and exposure to gender-based violence.

Ensure women’s inclusion in community decision-making, providing access to

administrative, financial, and other resources.

Analyse the situation of displaced women in neighbouring countries and territories,

including treatment and gender-based violence exposure.

Support women’s leadership in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery

processes.

Photo: UNDP-OECD Cross Regional Dialogue, October 2024

About the organisers of the “Investing for
Gender Equality and Inclusive Climate
Action: Cross Regional Dialogue”
UNDP in Europe and Central Asia incorporates principles of gender equality and
women’s empowerment in all its work. We champion inclusive economic development that
benefits women and men equally. We work in close partnership with governments, civil
society, the private sector, and other UN agencies and international organisations to
advance the active participation of women in political, governance, and economic spheres.
Our collaborative efforts aim to empower both women and men by enhancing their skills
and knowledge and increase their capacities to better withstand and adapt to the
challenges posed by climate change. Efforts include advocating for women’s rights,
confronting discriminatory legislation and practices, challenging entrenched gender roles
and stereotypes, and advocating for an end to all forms of violence against women. By
fostering inclusive policies and practices, we strive towards a society where women have
equal opportunities and rights in every facet of life.

OECD Istanbul Centre is a regional policy hub for OECD’s strategic engagement with non-
member countries, disseminating OECD’s standards, good practices, and policy advice in
the areas of climate change, gender equality, business climate and private sector
development, and connectivity and infrastructure. In the area of gender equality, the
Centre aims to promote the standards that underscore the OECD Recommendations on
Gender Equality in Education, Employment, and Entrepreneurship and on Gender Equality
in Public Life, providing comprehensive frameworks for the design and implementation of
policies that foster gender equality, greater inclusiveness, and stronger growth. We
support the implementation of the OECD Gender Strategy, and the related actions built
around four main pillars: data, mainstreaming, staying at the policy frontier, and outreach.
Our support consists of facilitating cross-regional efforts to promote the OECD work on
gender equality and multiplying the impact of the OECD Regional Programmes for Eurasia,
the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Southeast Europe (SEE), Southeast Asia (SEA),
and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Contact us:
UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub: Tiffany Sprague at [email protected]
OECD Istanbul Centre: Sara Grubanov-Boskovic at [email protected]

www.oecd.org
www.undp.org/Eurasia
https://x.com/OECD
x.com/UNDPEurasia
linkedin.com/OECD-OCDE
linkedin.com/UNDPEurasia