Creating a Just Social Order: The Role of Gender Equity in Climate Action

This research paper by the Africa Policy Research Institute examines the intersection of gender inequality and climate change, specifically within the African context. It argues that existing societal disparities magnify women's vulnerability to climate risks and that transformative climate action requires gender-responsive strategies, financial inclusion, and the integration of gender equity into international negotiations like COP29.

• Climate change disproportionately impacts marginalized populations, with women and girls bearing a significant burden of displacement and poverty. The United Nations estimates that 80% of people displaced by climate-related impacts are women and girls, and the IPCC notes that 54-63% of the poor most likely to be adversely impacted are women.
• Women face systemic economic barriers that limit their ability to adapt to climate change, including a stagnant global gender pay gap of 16% and limited access to land and capital. In sub-Saharan Africa, while women perform 48.7% of agricultural labour, they own only 15% of agricultural land.
• Climate change increases the burden of unpaid care work, which is predominantly performed by women (76.2% globally). Specifically, it is estimated that by 2050, climate change could increase the time women spend collecting water in households by up to 30% globally.
• Energy poverty severely affects women and girls, particularly in Africa where four out of five people cook over open fires or traditional stoves. This contributes to significant health risks, with women accounting for over 60% of the 3.7 million deaths attributable to household air pollution in 2022.
• Women are underrepresented in political and technical decision-making roles. In 2020, only 25% of parliamentarians globally were women, and in half of the African countries, women's representation remained below 20%. In the renewable energy sector, women hold less than a third of jobs and only 22% of technical roles.
• International climate frameworks have evolved to include gender, starting with the Women's Action Agenda 21 in 1991 and the Lima work programme on gender at COP20. The Paris Agreement further mandated the inclusion of gender equality in adaptation and capacity-building, leading to gender-responsive approaches in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
• There is a significant financing gap for women-led climate solutions; women-owned businesses make up 23% of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) worldwide but bear 32% of the USD 5 trillion financing gap.

APA

Mbungu, G. (2024). Creating a Just Social Order: The Role of Gender Equity in Climate Action. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/creating-a-just-social-order-the-role-of-gender-equity-in-climate-action

Chicago

Mbungu, Grace. Creating a Just Social Order: The Role of Gender Equity in Climate Action. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2024. https://afripoli.org/creating-a-just-social-order-the-role-of-gender-equity-in-climate-action.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mbungu |first1=Grace |title=Creating a Just Social Order: The Role of Gender Equity in Climate Action |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=11 November 2024 |url=https://afripoli.org/creating-a-just-social-order-the-role-of-gender-equity-in-climate-action |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mbungu2024creating, author = {Mbungu, Grace}, title = {{Creating a Just Social Order: The Role of Gender Equity in Climate Action}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://afripoli.org/creating-a-just-social-order-the-role-of-gender-equity-in-climate-action}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }