Report on the response to queries in the Board – approved Terms of Reference for updating of GCF’s Gender Policy and Action Plan

The GCF evaluated its gender policy, finding it more effective in programmatic operations than institutional ones. It proposes transitioning to a 'Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Policy and Action Plan' to broaden its scope beyond women to include other marginalized groups. Key updates include making Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) plans mandatory for all projects, adopting a human rights-based approach, and implementing Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) protocols.

• The existing gender policy has been more effective in guiding programmatic operations than institutional ones, and the GCF needs to better align institutional frameworks—such as risk and accreditation policies—with gender goals.
• Gender mainstreaming in project design has seen significant adoption, with 84% of approved funding proposals containing a gender/social assessment and 67% containing a GESI plan.
• The GCF is expanding its policy scope from a narrow focus on gender to a broader 'Gender Equality and Social Inclusion' (GESI) framework to target diverse marginalized groups, including the elderly, widowed, children, differently-abled, and indigenous peoples.
• The updated policy adopts a human rights-based approach and the principle of non-regression, ensuring activities respect international instruments such as CEDAW and ILO Convention No.169.
• The GCF will implement a Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) process, extending this requirement beyond indigenous peoples to other excluded social groups.
• The GCF identifies a need for senior-level gender expertise to influence management decisions, as the current Gender Focal Point (GFP) lacks sufficient authority at the senior management level.
• The GCF has successfully influenced its Accredited Entities (AEs) to develop their own gender policies; 49 out of 54 AEs now have such policies.
• The 2018–2022 Action Plan includes specific budgetary allocations for gender-related work, including $395,000 for a senior gender specialist and $150,000 for bi-annual third-party evaluations.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2017). Report on the response to queries in the Board – approved Terms of Reference for updating of GCF’s Gender Policy and Action Plan. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-2017-inf03-and-add01.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Report on the response to queries in the Board – approved Terms of Reference for updating of GCF’s Gender Policy and Action Plan. 2017. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-2017-inf03-and-add01.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Report on the response to queries in the Board – approved Terms of Reference for updating of GCF’s Gender Policy and Action Plan |date=28 September 2017 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-2017-inf03-and-add01.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2017report, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Report on the response to queries in the Board – approved Terms of Reference for updating of GCF’s Gender Policy and Action Plan}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2017}, month = sep, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-2017-inf03-and-add01.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }