Boosting Women’s Leadership in Climate Decision-Making
Summary
In 2025, GWL Voices committed to researching the participation of women in climate-related leadership and using the findings to provide 400 women worldwide with capacity-building and training by the end of 2026. To build the evidence base on women’s participation in climate-related multilateral organizations, mechanisms, and negotiations, GWL Voices will collect and analyze publicly available quantitative data on women’s representation in climate-related spaces and related processes, conduct questionnaires and interviews,and produce a comprehensive Spotlight Report on the issue. GWL Voices will use the insights from this report to strengthen the capacity of female local political leaders in climate change negotiations and diplomacy by coordinating virtual and in-person mentoring and development opportunities. GWL Voices will also host a series of online intergenerational dialogues between GWL Voices members and young local women leaders and conduct a pilot learning programme for a selected cohort of local women political leaders.
Approach
In order to build the evidence base on the representation and leadership of women in climate-related multilateral organizations, mechanisms and negotiations, GWL Voices will work on collecting and analyzing publicly available quantitative data on women’s representation in climate-related spaces and related processes, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (e.g.: the gender composition of national delegations at COPs and SBs, heads of delegations, chairs and facilitators) , the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (e.g.: authors, co-chairs, and working group leadership) , and Climate-related financial institutions and funds (e.g.: board composition of the Green Climate Fund, Global Environment Facility) , as well as qualitative data through questionnaires and interviews with select Climate Leaders to produce a comprehensive Spotlight Report on the issue.
GWL Voices has ample experience on collecting comparable quantitative and qualitative data for similar projects (GWL Voices’ flagship Women in Multilateralism Report, and the Spotlight of Women in Health) .
The second and interrelated goal – to strengthen the capacity of female local political leaders in climate change negotiations and diplomacy – GWL Voices will make use of the powerful network of women leaders that make up the organization. To this end, GWL Voices will coordinate the participation of GWL Voices members in virtual and in-person mentoring and capacity development opportunities, organize a series of online intergenerational dialogues between GWL Voices members and young local women leaders, and develop and carry out a pilot learning programme for a selected cohort of local women political leaders – taking into account self-perceived needs and areas for improvement.
Action Plan
SPOTLIGHT REPORT:
September 2025: Data collection process begins September 2025 – March 2026: Analyze the information and write the Spotlight Report. Edit and format the Report.
January 2026 – Organize event to launch the teaser Spotlight Report in the GWL Voices Dialogue (an annual event bringing together all GWL Voices members) March 2026: Present the report at CSW70
March to December 2026 – Plan and carry out an outreach strategy to present the Spotlight Report in different multilateral spaces to reach as big of an audience as possible, prioritizing strategic spaces where impact can be maximized.
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT:
September 2025 – December 2026 – Participation of GWL Voices members in virtual and in-person mentoring and capacity development sessions with female local political leaders. Organization of a series of online intergenerational dialogues between GWL Voices members focused on young local women leaders. Pilot learning programme on climate change negotiations and diplomacy for a selected cohort of local women political leaders.
Background
Women and girls are not only disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change, but they remain acutely underrepresented in climate-related decision-making spaces, negotiations, and leadership positions. Moreover, data collection and analysis on women in climate remains sparse and often piecemeal, hindering a clear picture of the current state of representation. A lack of systematized and accessible data on women contributions to climate action, finance and policy undermines efforts to enhance women’s resilience to climate impacts, and to ensure their equal participation in shaping a sustainable future.
GWL Voices seeks to address these issues, and build a comprehensive, up-to-date evidence base on the current state of the representation and leadership of women in climate-related multilateral organizations, mechanisms and negotiations. Secondly, it will seek to strengthen the capacity of female local government leaders in climate change negotiations and diplomacy in order to contribute in practice to changing the tide of women’s underrepresentation in climate-related decision-making.
Progress Update
Partnership Opportunities
GWL Voices seeks topic expertise to support public presentations for women in local politics. It also seeks topic expertise for the production of the Report, as well as for media support in different countries with global representation. GWL Voices seeks advocacy opportunities to bring the messages relevant to the commitment.,GWL Voices offers the expertise of its 77 members of global women leaders around the world active in high-level multilateral spaces on different topics, including climate and environment.
GWL Voices defines itself as a network of networks, seeking the best use of resources in partnering with others who share the same goals and values.