10 things to know: Gender equality and achieving climate goals

The report argues that gender-sensitive approaches lead to more sustainable climate compatible development by recognizing the distinct needs of men and women and addressing power imbalances. Using case studies from urban areas in India, Kenya, and Peru, it finds that women's active participation in decision-making improves the effectiveness of resilience-building activities, such as water and sanitation projects. However, the report notes that significant obstacles remain, including patriarchal cultural norms, lack of political will, and limited women's access to land and financial assets. It emphasizes that gender equality must be an explicit goal from the start of a project to move beyond addressing practical needs toward transforming strategic power relations.

• Gender-sensitive analysis provides a deeper understanding of how climate change affects people differently, revealing the political, physical, and socioeconomic reasons for these differences. For example, in Gorakhpur, India, women face significant challenges accessing toilets during waterlogged conditions, leading some to eat and drink less to avoid the need for sanitation, while men are less restricted.
• The active involvement and leadership of women in decision-making processes lead to more sustainable and transparent climate compatible development outcomes. In India, Neighbourhood Committees with high female participation (at least 70% active members being women) remained functional, whereas city-level committees with little to no women's participation ceased to function.
• Urban environments require different gender approaches than rural areas due to differing social and economic structures. In Gorakhpur, India, class identity often prevails over caste in cities, making it easier to bring together different castes but harder to bridge income gaps. In Kisumu, Kenya, urban women have better access to financial empowerment through self-help groups (chamas) than rural women.
• Everyday gender inequalities and discriminatory social norms exacerbate vulnerability to urban climate risks. In India, patriarchal norms restrict the mobility of upper-class women during floods, and gender-based violence is used to prevent women from attending community meetings. Additionally, women often bear the stress of securing and repaying loans when climate events destroy livelihoods, as men are often viewed as untrustworthy due to alcoholism.
• Many projects focus only on the 'practical needs' of women—such as improving their efficiency in traditional reproductive roles—rather than addressing 'strategic interests' like power imbalances and control over assets. For instance, in the ACCCRN project in India, women's income from guava production was often partially taken by men (25% to 50%), showing that increased income does not automatically lead to financial control.
• For gender equality to be achieved, it must be an explicit project goal from the outset with sex-disaggregated targets. Without this, projects may maintain the status quo; in the ACCCRN project, women's participation occurred 'by default' because they were more available at home, rather than through deliberate inclusive design.
• The success of gender-sensitive climate development is driven by a favorable national policy environment, participatory local design, and committed staff. Peru is noted for having a progressive framework, including the National Gender and Climate Change Action Plan (PAGCC), although implementation remains low at the local level.
• Current monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems are often inadequate for tracking gender outcomes because they lack explicit gender indicators and objectives. The report suggests using creative methods, such as gathering life stories of women's leadership, to better champion gender-sensitive approaches.

APA

Kratzer, S., & Le Masson, V. (n.d.). 10 things to know: Gender equality and achieving climate goals. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/10-things-to-know_Gender-equality-and-achieving-climate-goals_WEBfinal.pdf

Chicago

Kratzer, Sebastian, and Virginie Le Masson. 10 things to know: Gender equality and achieving climate goals. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, n.d. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/10-things-to-know_Gender-equality-and-achieving-climate-goals_WEBfinal.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kratzer |first1=Sebastian |last2=Le Masson |first2=Virginie |title=10 things to know: Gender equality and achieving climate goals |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/10-things-to-know_Gender-equality-and-achieving-climate-goals_WEBfinal.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kratzerndthings, author = {Kratzer, Sebastian and Le Masson, Virginie}, title = {{10 things to know: Gender equality and achieving climate goals}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/10-things-to-know_Gender-equality-and-achieving-climate-goals_WEBfinal.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }