Women’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change

The report details how the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) integrates gender equality into climate change obligations through General Recommendations, joint statements, and State reporting. It highlights the Committee's focus on disaster risk reduction, the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls, and the necessity of women's active participation in climate policy. The document analyzes CEDAW's Concluding Observations from 2008 to 2019, noting a high volume of recommendations for Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries, primarily focusing on adaptation and procedural rights, while also issuing specific mitigation demands regarding fossil fuel extraction and fracking.

• In 2018, CEDAW became the first human rights treaty body to adopt a General Comment specifically focused on climate change with General Recommendation No. 37, which addresses "the gender-related dimensions of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change."
• CEDAW rejects the stereotype of women and girls as passive victims, instead emphasizing their role as "agents of change" in climate change mitigation, adaptation, and post-disaster management.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2020). Women’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CEDAW.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Women’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change. 2020. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CEDAW.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Women’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change |date=2020 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CEDAW.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2020womens, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Women’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2020}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CEDAW.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }