Gender Principal Secretary Ann Wang’ombe has urged for increased participation of women in decision-making processes related to climate change.

Wang’ombe emphasized the critical impact of climate change on sectors vital to women and girls, such as water, energy, and agriculture, which significantly affect their livelihoods and well-being.

Speaking at a workshop themed “Equality in climate action: Planning for a gender-inclusive future in Africa,” Wang’ombe highlighted the need for women’s voices to be integrated into climate change policies and solutions.

She emphasized, “Without women’s inputs on climate change policy, climate change could itself become another barrier to gender equality.”

The workshop also shed light on the importance of addressing deep-rooted sociocultural inequalities that hinder women’s meaningful inclusion in climate change decision-making processes.

Wang’ombe stressed the necessity of developing policies that promote women and girls’ engagement in agro-ecological food production to enhance biodiversity and resilience against climate change.

Evelyn Koech, UNDP Kenya team leader for environment and resilience, emphasized the pivotal role of gender equality in achieving climate resilience, stating, “Empowering women and achieving gender equality are pivotal for the systemic changes needed for a fair transition and sustainable future.”