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United States Strategy to Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Women 2023

Office of Global Women’s Issues

Report to Congress on the United States Strategy to Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Women, pursuant to Section 7019(e) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023 (Div. K, P.L. 117-328) and House Report 117-401

Introduction and Key Themes

Women and girls, in all their diversity, play a critical role in addressing the climate crisis as we seek to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius and build resilience to the impacts of climate change, high priorities of the United States that are reflected in our nationally determined contribution and other efforts at home and abroad. Research shows that climate change does not affect women and men equally, with women suffering disproportionate impacts and experiencing underrepresentation in climate decision-making in all sectors and at all levels, which reduces the likelihood of their perspectives being incorporated and limits outcomes for all of society. Climate change impacts are also compounded for women and girls of color, Indigenous women and girls, women and girls with disabilities, and LGBTQI+ persons, among others. A deeper understanding of women’s and girls’ diverse needs, challenges, and opportunities is required to ensure effective responses to climate change. Despite these challenges, women and girls around the world are leading efforts to mitigate, adapt to, and address the impacts of climate change. This strategy outlines U.S. government efforts to empower women and girls politically, economically, and socially – and facilitate meaningful inclusion of their needs and perspectives in decision-making – as we seek to achieve a more equitable and sustainable future.

The nexus of gender equality and climate change can be categorized into three overarching themes that align with U.S. government policy priorities: advancing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda; preventing and responding to gender-based violence (GBV); and promoting women’s economic security (WES).

Natural Resources, Conflict, and Fragility:

Due to gender inequality, conflict and disasters adversely and disproportionately affect women and girls. Climate change impacts, such as extreme weather events, food and water insecurity, and natural resource degradation, are threat multipliers and increase risks of displacement , migration, and conflict, especially in regions that suffer from instability. In many parts of the world, women and girls are particularly vulnerable to these stressors, because their livelihoods and care work responsibilities depend on accessing climate-impacted resources (e.g., land, food, water, fuel) or controlling and maintaining those resources as smallholder farmers and informal natural resource managers. As scarcity worsens, women and girls tend to be most impacted by food shortages and malnutrition and increasingly encounter insecurity and violence as they travel to far or unfamiliar destinations or experience resource competition. Despite these threats, they are contributing to peace-building and sustainability in their communities through locally informed, innovative solutions. This gender-climate theme aligns with the U.S. government’s priority to advance the WPS agenda.

Gender-Based Violence and Social Impacts:

When climate-related disasters strike, women’s and girls’ economic and educational opportunities and access to health care services are disrupted, contributing to mortality and adverse health impacts. Climate change shapes the quantity, quality, and availability of basic resources, including those necessary to maintain menstrual health and hygiene. Climate disasters and stressors heighten women’s and girls’ risks of experiencing GBV , whether in communities, the home, on migration or collection routes, or in temporary shelters. Furthermore, as climate stressors threaten resources and livelihoods, women and girls are typically the first to forego food, and child, early, and forced marriages often increase as families feel pressure to reduce expenses. Such economic insecurities induced by climate disasters and stressors can elevate the risk of trafficking in persons. GBV also harms women’s and girls’ leadership and action in addressing the climate crisis and environmental challenges. For example, in response to their efforts to promote accountability for governments and private sector actors, women environmental defenders face increased risk of retaliation, threats, and violence online and offline. This gender-climate theme aligns with the U.S. government’s priority to prevent and respond to GBV globally.

Innovation and Economic Participation:

It is critical to ensure that women and girls have the education, training, mentorship, assets, and financing to lead or work in the green (e.g., energy , transport, agriculture, forestry) and blue (e.g., fisheries, maritime transport, coastal resources) economies . To access these opportunities, education and training in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields must be emphasized. Proactive efforts are key to facilitating women’s participation and leadership since they face myriad institutional, structural, and cultural barriers to their inclusion. Whether through legal restrictions or social norms, some women are prohibited from working in relevant sectors, while others do not have the right to own land . Women are overrepresented as workers in many industries that have a direct impact on or are directly impacted by climate change (e.g., agriculture, fishing, garment industries, tourism), presenting opportunities for women’s climate innovation while simultaneously challenging their livelihoods. Women’s access to and uptake of climate-smart technologies remains limited, including for women smallholder farmers , who often do not have land rights or deeds. This gender-climate theme aligns with the U.S. government’s priority to promote WES.

U.S. Government Policy Alignment

To empower women and girls as climate leaders and to strengthen their climate resilience, the United States has integrated cross-cutting climate action and gender equality priorities into several landmark strategies, policies, and initiatives. Addressing the nexus of gender and climate change is a priority of the U.S. National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality (NGS) (strategic priority 8), the U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally (objective 2.7), and the Gender Equity and Equality Action (GEEA) Fund. The U.S. Strategy on Global Women’s Economic Security recognizes climate change as a context-setting factor, while the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 and U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace, and Security seek to integrate women into conflict and disaster prevention, preparedness, and response. The President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) brings the full force of 19 federal agencies to advance adaptation in climate-vulnerable countries and addresses long-standing climate challenges that disproportionately affect women and others who have historically been excluded. Other relevant policy frameworks and initiatives include, but are not limited to: the Adaptation Communication of the United States , Global Fragility Act , U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment , U.S. Government Global Food Security Strategy , U.S. Global Water Strategy , and the White House Action Plan on Global Water Security .

Strategic Objectives

Integrate efforts to advance gender equality and promote climate change adaptation, mitigation, and resilience.
Address impacts of climate change on and advance meaningful participation of women and girls by linking climate security with the WPS agenda, preventing and responding to GBV, and promoting WES.
Empower women and girls as leaders in generating climate change solutions through policy, diplomacy, outreach, and programming.

Guiding Principles

Intersectional:

Address how aspects of an individual’s identity intersect to create different experiences of discrimination and privilege. Consider the historic, sociocultural, and systemic disadvantages and power imbalances members of different groups face, and recognize their strength, resilience, and leadership in developing tailored solutions.

Locally Led:

Build partnerships with local stakeholders, including individuals, communities, networks, organizations, private entities, and governments, and enable them to set their own agendas and co-create solutions. This includes engaging men and boys as partners in advancing gender equality in the context of climate change.

Do No Harm:

Commit to principles of safety, respect, confidentiality, and non-discrimination in all our work to take care not to put survivors, program participants, staff, and community members at physical or emotional risk.

Priority Lines of Effort

The U.S. government is committed to advancing a two-pronged approach to efforts related to women and climate change: (1) address disproportionate impacts of the effects of climate change on women and girls; and (2) empower women and girls as leaders in addressing climate change. The following priority lines of effort integrate objectives set forth in the NGS, U.S. Strategy on WPS, U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to GBV Globally, U.S. Strategy on Global WES, and PREPARE, and their advancement necessitates ongoing engagement in multilateral forums and with civil society experts and practitioners.

Implementation and accountability for this United States Strategy to Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Women will be achieved through two reporting channels, coordinated by the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues and counterparts at the U.S. Department of State: (1) Formal updates will be provided through established reporting processes for relevant U.S. government strategies with aligned objectives; and (2) Informal, quarterly updates will be provided through an interagency working group facilitated by the White House Gender Policy Council and National Security Council.

Policy, Diplomacy, and Outreach (PDO)

PDO1: Reduce barriers that impede women’s and girls’ abilities to engage or lead in climate change and natural resource decision-making, peace-building, and relief and recovery at local, sub-national, national, and international levels.

PDO2: Anticipate and address increased risks of GBV and threats to well-being resulting from climate-related disasters, natural resource scarcity, or efforts to protect the environment and deploy climate solutions.

PDO3: Promote women’s access to green and blue economy jobs and facilitate women’s and girls’ climate entrepreneurship and innovation, including in STEM fields, to advance energy and other industrial transitions toward sustainability and improve women’s economic security.

PDO4: Amplify the work and voices of women and girls leading climate change adaptation, mitigation, and resilience efforts in all sectors and at all levels.

Programming (PRG)

PRG1: Continue developing and funding programs, including through the GEEA Fund, that advance women’s and girls’ climate leadership by facilitating training for and access to green and blue jobs, creating climate-smart entrepreneurship opportunities, addressing climate change-related GBV, or promoting women’s access to climate finance.

PRG2: Maximize efforts to build collaboration across climate change programming and gender equality programming via program design, implementation, and evaluation that integrates best practices from each field (e.g., gender diversity and balance, gender analysis, climate risk assessments, sex-disaggregated data collection, environment and gender monitoring indicators).

PRG3: Invest in programs that advance land rights for women, with emphasis on Indigenous women, enabling their economic security and ability to conserve and protect land and resources, including efforts to reduce deforestation, overgrazing, and land degradation.

Capacity Building (CB)

CB1: Institutionalize PDO and PRG efforts on the nexus of gender equality and climate change through consistent interagency coordination, as well as coordination within departments, agencies, and bureaus, as appropriate.

CB2: Increase awareness and understanding of the nexus of gender equality and climate change, as well as its ability to impact both gender equality and climate change priorities, within departments, agencies, and bureaus.

Appendix A

Summary of United States Government Actions to Advance Priority Lines of Effort

The following represents a non-exhaustive list of recent or ongoing projects, initiatives, and programs related to Policy, Diplomacy, and Outreach (PDO), Programming (PRG), and Capacity Building (CB) priority lines of effort on the nexus of gender equality and climate change.

Accelerated Innovation Delivery – Initiative (AID-I): As part of Feed the Future, this joint USAID and Department of State initiative is a two-year rapid response effort to expedite assistance to up to 6 million African smallholder famers in response to the global food security crisis. AID-I will deliver targeted investments to expand access to climate-adapted, nutrient-dense, and stress-tolerant crop varieties; provide agricultural advisory services and capacity building; increase access to finance and inputs; and improve fertilizer use efficiency and soil health. AID-I partners are committed to mainstreaming gender and social inclusion: following a gender landscape assessment, AID-I partners will be able deliver tailored capacity building programming for women smallholder farmers. (PDO3, PRG1, PRG2)

Accelerating Women’s Empowerment in Energy (AWEE): The Department of State Bureau of Energy Resources’ AWEE program helps secure women’s economic futures through green jobs, with a focus on Kenya and South Africa. The program will provide grants to local organizations to address barriers to women’s entry, promotion, and retention in the clean energy sector and increase women’s participation in the clean energy workforce. AWEE helps extend the principles of the Department of State’s Women in Energy Strategy to Africa. (PDO3, PRG1, PRG2)

Advancing Gender in the Environment (AGENT): AGENT, funded through USAID, works to fill critical information gaps, make the case for, and provide tailored technical support on the link between gender and the environment, with a focus on climate change. Amongst its activities, AGENT supports national governments to develop action plans—building on their national climate plans—to address climate-related gender inequality. (PDO1, PDO2, PDO4, PRG1, PRG2)

Archipelago of Drought: Archipelago of Drought, a grant funded by U.S. Embassy Jakarta, builds the capacity of Indonesian journalists to understand, report on, and advocate for more in-depth reporting that examines the impending water crisis and effects on vulnerable populations, including burdens on women and girls. The program aims to draw attention to and influence policymaking processes from the local to national level to address this crisis. Activities within the project will include journalistic workshops, university lectures, reporting fellowships and mentoring, photo competition, and creation of a database of scientific experts who can help Indonesian journalists’ reporting. (PDO1, PRG1)

Art-Facilitated Conversations on Gender and Environment: U.S. Embassy Vilnius hosted American artist Zoë Charlton to have conversations with prominent Lithuanian artists on activism, art, climate, and gender. Lithuanian artist and influencer Jolita Vaitkutė interviewed and exchanged ideas with Charlton; the recording of this interview is now used to message on the timely topics of the environment, cultural heritage, politics, and intersectional identities. (PDO4)

Ask a Gender and Climate Expert: The Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues at the Department of State hosts a bimonthly virtual brownbag series featuring presentations from academics specializing in different aspects of the gender-climate nexus. These sessions are open to all Department of State employees, and other U.S. government agencies are welcome to attend. (CB2)

Automated Directive Systems (ADS): USAID’s ADS defines roles and responsibilities to ensure staff can achieve development goals. The ADS is USAID’s primary policy tool for outlining agency requirements for integrating gender throughout the planning and programming cycle across sectors, including in climate change programming. Gender analysis is required across programming. (PRG2, CB1, CB2)

Bangladesh Advancing Development and Growth Through Energy (BADGE): This USAID/Bangladesh activity takes a gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) approach to planning, implementing, and making decisions about energy sector interventions. By boosting women’s participation in the energy workforce of Bangladesh and including GESI in all BADGE interventions, the Government of Bangladesh and the United States benefit from the enhanced diversity, efficiency, and profitability of the energy sector. (PDO3, PRG2)

Bosnia and Herzegovina Women and Energy Association: Alongside partners, USAID/Bosnia and Herzegovina is establishing a Women in Energy Association, which is expected to be formalized in summer 2023. The association will develop a formal network of women in the energy sector for mutual support and knowledge sharing; support their career planning and advancement; and provide training and learning opportunities for women. (PDO3)

Building Economic Inclusion via the Blue Economy (BELUU): BELUU, a program co-funded by the United States and Taiwan under the auspices of the American Institute in Taiwan and the Taipei Economic Cultural Representative Office in the United States, promotes women’s economic empowerment (WEE) in Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Marshall Islands through programming that: (1) fosters the growth of civil society organizations (CSOs) and private sector entities via a Community of Practice co-facilitated by diverse and inclusive local organizations, and (2) awards Innovation Grants for CSOs to launch locally led interventions at the intersections between WEE and climate adaptation and resilience, COVID-19, food security, GBV, and/or digital technology—including in the green and blue economies. (PDO3, PRG2)

Built Water Storage in South Asia: The Department of State Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs’ Built Water Storage in South Asia project in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan addresses the differential impacts of proposed water storage options on women and men, where differences result from disparities in power, privilege, asset ownership, the burden of risks, and the distribution of opportunities. This project provides technical assistance to government agencies, trains a cohort of professionals in water management (of whom at least 40 percent are women), and offers opportunities for engagement on cross-border water storage issues. (PDO1, PDO4)

Central Africa Women’s Initiative for Climate Action (WICA): Designed to strengthen capacity and increase participation of early-career women in the national climate change processes of Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo, the WICA initiative is funded in part by the SilvaCarbon Program (see SilvaCarbon entry below). To date, 198 women have participated in a series of workshops, courses, and internships about climate change science, greenhouse gas accounting, the social and economic impacts of the climate crisis, climate finance, and national and international climate policy. (PDO1)

Civil Society Roundtable Series: Throughout 2021, the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues and Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at the Department of State convened a series of roundtable discussions with civil society experts and practitioners on the nexus of gender and climate change. In late 2022, a similar roundtable discussion was convened with members of the Innovation Station network of woman and girl climate leaders (see Innovation Station entry below). (CB2)

Clean Cities, Blue Ocean (CCBO): USAID’s CCBO is helping coastal cities in low- and middle-income countries to create green jobs for women on the front lines of waste management as they reduce plastic pollution and transform the solid waste management (SWM) sector. CCBO empowers women as leaders across the SWM value chain through business and personal empowerment trainings and a small business incubator program that offers mentorship and funding opportunities for establishing or expanding women-owned recycling or waste businesses. (PDO1, PDO3, PRG2)

Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) Initiative: The C3E Initiative, led by the Department of Energy, advances the contributions and leadership of women across the clean energy sector. It elevates key ambassadors, hosts an annual symposium, fosters a virtual community of women in clean energy, and honors mid-career women leaders through the C3E Awards. (PDO3, PDO4, PRG1)

Clean Energy Ministerial Equality Initiative New Ambassador Cohort: The Department of Energy Office of International Affairs co-leads the Clean Energy Ministerial’s Equality in Energy Transitions Initiative and is the lead of the Initiative’s Ambassadors Program and Mentorship Workstream. Equality Initiative Ambassadors are proactive and highly qualified people of all genders who are leaders in the clean energy field, including within industry, government, and universities. Equality Ambassadors create opportunities to attract, retain, and inspire the next generation of women leaders in the clean energy sector. The initiative provides a platform to speak publicly, draw attention to important work, serve as role models, increase women’s participation and leadership, and champion the careers of up-and-coming professionals in the field. (PDO3, PDO4)

Climate Action Champions Network: The Climate Action Champions Network is a $525,000 Indo-Pacific program including youth climate leaders from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka to initiate climate action projects in the region. Network activities will include in-country site visits, cross-border conclaves, an incubator, and hackathons. Through gender equitable participation and a gender inclusive approach, this initiative will ensure the future leaders of the region learn techniques to enhance mitigation and facilitate policy changes that will benefit women and girls. (PDO1, PRG1, PRG2)

Climate Adaptation in Armenia: USAID is supporting the implementation of Armenia’s Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plan, which includes working to support climate equity in Armenia, to ensure representation, inclusion, and protection of the rights of those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Within these efforts, USAID is considering how to elevate employment opportunities for women in climate- and environment-related sectors and professions. (PDO1, PDO3)

Climate Gender Equity Fund: Through its Climate Finance Development Accelerator, USAID created a Climate Gender Equity Fund, which will leverage private sector funding to scale climate finance that advances gender-equitable climate action. Launched through a five-year partnership with Amazon, with initial seed funding of $6 million, the fund will leverage public and private sector investment to increase access to climate finance for women-led climate organizations and businesses that advance gender-equitable climate solutions in least developed countries. (PDO3, PRG1, PRG2)

Critical Minerals Mining in Brazil: An up to $30 million U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) equity investment in TechMet Limited will support the development of a critical minerals mining facility in Piauí, Brazil, that will produce nickel and cobalt suitable for lithium-ion batteries and advance efficient and environmentally sensitive mining practices. The mining facility will be an important source of formal employment in a rural area with limited income opportunities. Women comprise almost one-third of all employees and one-third of all managers at the mining facility, a significantly higher rate than in the global mining workforce. (PDO3)

Eco Literature Reading: American Center Chennai (India) launched its Alumni Writers Circle with an interactive talk by Dr. Mary Vidya Porselvi, Fulbright-Nehru scholar on “Women’s Writing in Eco Literature,” and a select reading of her eco poetry. Targeting environmental and cultural activists and students, this interaction highlighted a gendered perspective in addressing climate change. Over 120 students, professors, and research scholars attended the event, which highlighted the historic presence and voice of women in eco literature and their undeniable role in conservation efforts. (PDO4)

Educating the Indian Public on Air Quality: U.S. Embassy New Delhi (India) is developing a comprehensive, innovative, and multi-pronged public education campaign to combat air pollution in the Delhi-National Capital Region. This grant has included a Women’s Leadership e-Conclave, a virtual event highlighting 11 women who have led successful air quality campaigns in India. (PDO4)

Egyptian Pioneers Program: USAID is spurring climate action by investing in education and skills building for women and youth. Subject to the availability of funds and Congressional notification, USAID is investing $23 million in the new nine-year Egyptian Pioneers program that aims to build a more inclusive and capable Egyptian workforce, with an emphasis on sectors with the potential to contribute to climate goals, such as environment and energy. (PDO3, PRG1, PRG2)

Empowering Women in Sustainable Energy in Indonesia: USAID’s Sustainable Energy for Indonesia’s Advancing Resilience project is empowering women across the sustainable energy sector through partnerships with universities, the Renewable Energy Directorate in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Indonesia’s national power utility, and Indonesia’s oil and gas company. These partnerships will support the integration of gender equality and social inclusion across the sector and empower women to be agents of change in Indonesia’s transition to low-carbon energy sources. (PDO3, PRG1)

Enabling and Mobilizing the Participation of Women in Environmental Rights Defense (EMPOWER): EMPOWER is a three-year project supported by the Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and implemented in the East Asia Pacific region. The program prioritizes human rights and fundamental freedoms and aims to increase the participation of women in decision-making processes by addressing issues affecting women environmental defenders and empowering them to play an active role in gender-sensitive environmental policy development in the region. (PDO1, PDO2, PRG2)

Engendering Industries: USAID supports organizations in developing countries to increase economic opportunities for women and improve gender equality in the workplace. First starting in the energy sector, and then expanding to water, Engendering Industries now works to advance gender equality in male-dominated sectors throughout the world. (PDO3, PDO4, PRG1)

Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool (EJScreen): The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designed and established EJScreen to better meet the Agency’s responsibilities related to the protection of public health and the environment. EJScreen uses national data in maps and reports to provide users with high-resolution environmental and demographic information for locations in the United States, allowing users to compare their selected locations to the rest of the state, EPA region, or nation. The tool features gender specific data on women, including various maps of female populations, female heads of households, and females in the workforce, as collected by the Census American Community Survey. (PRG2, CB2)

Equal Stake in the Soil: Building Women’s Land Rights from the Ground Up: Equal Stake in the Soil is a three-year project funded by the Department of State’s Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues in Bangladesh and Colombia. The program supports women-led civil society organizations to foster the enabling environment needed to recognize and promote women’s land rights and advance their economic security. (PDO3, PRG2, PRG3)

Feed the Future Bangladesh Livestock and Nutrition Activity: This USAID/Bangladesh activity focuses on women’s empowerment by building the capacity of female livestock service providers who deliver livestock education, services, and technologies to smallholder farmers, improving farm productivity, household incomes, and nutrition status. The activity engages adolescents, women, local leaders, teachers, religious leaders, and market actors to facilitate social and behavior change interventions to address gender disparities, including encouraging the sharing of household workloads and increasing decision making power for women. The activity builds the capacity of female entrepreneurs to improve their financial literacy. (PDO1, PDO3, PRG2, PRG3)

Female Leaders in Energy (FLIE): FLIE is a two-year program of the Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources that aims to advance the professional development of more than 30 early- to mid-career level women working in the energy field in Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam through individual paired mentorships with senior-level women in energy from the United States. As part of the program, mentees participate in technical workshops, leadership trainings, a capstone project, and job shadows to prepare them to become leaders in their organizations. (PDO3, PDO4)

Fire Management in the Brazilian Amazon: USAID/Brazil has supported training courses and information exchanges in integrated fire management and incident command practices, including 263 female participants or nearly 49 percent of trainees. Two courses were designed exclusively for women to increase their capacity for fire management and demonstrate that women are motivated to work in fire suppression and prevention. USAID/Brazil has also supported the Women Warriors of the Forest who monitor activities across large federally protected land. (PDO3, PRG3)

Gap Inc Women + Water Alliance: Women make up approximately 80 percent of garment workers, and the garment industry is responsible for roughly one-fifth of freshwater pollution globally. The USAID/India-supported Gap Inc Women + Water Alliance is committed to improving and sustaining the health and well-being of women and communities touched by the apparel industry in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh in India. By the end of FY22, the activity empowered more than 2.3 million people to improve their access to clean water and sanitation and enabled over 123,000 affordable loans to women’s groups. (PRG1, PRG2)

Gender Advisory Council (GAC) of the International Energy Agency (IEA): The Department of Energy’s Office of International Affairs championed a multilateral effort to help prioritize gender mainstreaming in energy policymaking in IEA member governments through the adoption of a GAC mandate to the IEA Governing Board. The mandate also calls on the GAC to guide efforts to promote gender equality, diversity, and mainstreaming in the IEA and its bodies, and to collect and track gender data in the energy sector. (PDO3, PRG2)

Gender and Climate Change Community of Practice: USAID’s Gender and Climate Community of Practice facilitates knowledge sharing and networking on gender integration in climate and environment programming amongst agency colleagues. It provides regular opportunities to learn from experiences identifying and addressing links between gender and climate to strengthen overall environment programming. (CB1, CB2)

Gender and Climate Collaborators Working Group: The Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues at the Department of State facilitates the Gender and Climate Collaborators, an informal working group that meets quarterly to provide bureau- and office-level updates regarding action on the gender-climate nexus, develop collaborations, and identify needs regarding gender-climate informational resources. (CB1, CB2)

Gender, Climate Change, and Nutrition Integration Initiative (GCAN): GCAN is a program of the International Food Policy Research Institute, supported by USAID. GCAN aims to: (1) support USAID missions and implementing partners in efforts to integrate climate science, gender, and nutrition into agricultural programming to enhance the resilience of program outcomes; (2) build the evidence base on links between these cross-cutting topics; and (3) provide conceptual guidance, tools, and forums for further analysis. (PDO3, PRG2, PRG3, CB2)

Generating Resilience and Opportunities for Women (GROW): As part of the U.S. government’s Feed the Future initiative led by USAID, through USAID’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and Adaptation activities, and subject to the availability of funds and Congressional notification, GROW plans to advance women’s empowerment across three priority areas: (1) increase women producers’ productivity and resilience to shocks; (2) support women to fully participate in and benefit from more diversified and climate-resilient economic opportunities in food and water systems (including in value chains beyond production); and (3) drive the humanitarian system to prioritize addressing the unique needs of women and girls affected by climate and food security crises. Across these priorities, GROW will work in close collaboration with country governments, implementing partners, and local communities to address the discriminatory social norms and rules that create and reinforce gender inequalities across food and water systems. (PDO1, PRG2, PRG3)

Global Girls Climate Coalition: Subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues at the Department of State will initiate the Global Girls Climate Coalition, a network of girls working to lead climate solutions in their communities and advocate for climate policies and action both locally and internationally. (PDO4, PRG1, PRG2)

Guardians of the Territory: The Guardians of the Territory program, funded by the Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs in the amount of $30,000, will stimulate the commitment and independence of Indigenous women in relation to their environment and encourage them to create and implement community initiatives that have a positive impact on climate mitigation. The initiative will help 30 Indigenous women aged 18 to 35 from the city of Maracaibo in Zulia state (Venezuela) to acquire practical and theoretical training in climate change, clean energy, food security, and project development, while strengthening their leadership and activism in climate decision-making. (PDO1, PDO3, PRG1, PRG3)

IMPACTUM!: Funded through a Democracy Commission Small Grant, Mission Kazakhstan’s IMPACTUM! project for 2021–2023 is equipping young female leaders with tools and knowledge on slowing climate change and fighting air pollution. The project is training 27 young ambassadors to address the issue of air quality in different cities across Kazakhstan. The grantee is also implementing an ECO CHALLENGE, which engages citizens in everyday activities to develop eco-friendly habits that promote sustainable development. (PDO1, PDO3, PDO4)

Inclusive Action for Climate Change: Inclusive Action for Climate Change is a $1.5 million grant from the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the Department of State that uses the WPS agenda to address the twin themes of women’s participation and climate crisis adaptation. The project seeks to strengthen the capacity of women-led organizations in Bangladesh, Maldives, and Nepal to participate in political discussions on national and local policies on climate change; advance the role of women in community resolution of conflicts arising from climate change and its effects; and assist women-led organizations to advocate for and achieve gender equity and equality in climate change adaptation efforts. (PDO1, PDO4, PRG1, PRG3)

Innovation Station: The Innovation Station initiative, launched by the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues at the Department of State in July 2021, amplifies the voices of women and girls developing creative solutions to climate-related challenges in their communities. The initiative expands the reach and impact of women’s and girls’ solutions by facilitating relationship-building with new domestic and international communities to share best practices and develop on-the-ground collaborations. As of May 2023, more than 95 women and girls are part of the Innovation Station network. The initiative’s virtual events, podcasts, and other components have engaged audiences in 127 countries and 49 U.S. states and territories while helping participants develop over 460 new community relationships. (PDO4, CB2)

Interagency Gender-Climate Coordination Small Group: The Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues at the Department of State, in partnership with the White House Gender Policy Council and National Security Council, leads a quarterly interagency coordination meeting on gender and climate policy. Since its establishment in 2022, this Interagency Gender-Climate Coordination Small Group has contributed to a U.S. government-wide list of gender-climate deliverables for announcement at COP27, among other coordination activities. (CB1, CB2)

Land and Resource Governance for Women’s Land Rights: USAID’s Integrated Land and Resource Governance project and Land Evidence for Economic Rights, Gender and Empowerment activity under the Communications, Evidence and Learning project strengthen women’s land rights and economic empowerment in countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. (PDO3, PRG2, PRG3)

Livestock Insurance in Pakistan: A DFC loan of up to $37.5 million is helping the InsuResilience Investment Fund work with financial institutions to develop and expand insurance to protect smallholder farmers and other climate-vulnerable populations against extreme weather and natural disasters. In Pakistan, InsuResilience expanded access to a livestock loan product that covers the cost of repayments if a cow becomes sick or dies. This coverage helps primarily women farmers avoid depleting savings or selling assets to cope with the loss. (PDO3, PRG1, PRG3)

Local Works Activity for Natural Resource Management: USAID/Bangladesh implements three activities under the Local Works program that empower local actors to lead their own development: GREEN LIFE, ECO LIFE, and Nature and Life. The Local Works activities seek to ensure that women, girls, and youth are actively involved in the natural resource management of the forested protected areas in and around Cox’s Bazar, the district most impacted by the protracted influx of Rohingya refugees. To reduce deforestation, forest-dependent households in and around the protected areas receive skills training and financial support to adopt alternatives to the use of wood for fuel. Women make up 70 percent of the beneficiaries. (PDO1, PDO3, PRG2, PRG3)

Millennium Challenge Corporation Commitment to Climate Action: Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has committed to providing at least 50 percent of its grants to climate activities. Inclusion and gender are corporate priorities of MCC, and all climate work integrates inclusion and gender equality. MCC has committed the following grants for climate and energy security programs: Benin ($20.9 million), the Gambia ($20 million), Indonesia ($249 million), Kosovo ($153 million), Lesotho ($118.6 million), Malawi ($35 million), Niger ($23.6 million), the Solomon Islands ($6.5 million), and Timor Leste ($32.8 million). (PDO1, PDO2, PDO3, PDO4, PRG1, PRG2)

Natural Infrastructure for Water Security (NIWS) Activity: The NIWS project enables the Government of Peru to improve its management of natural resources to increase water security and provide a sustainable economic future for its citizens, while reducing migration and the risk of internal conflicts. It includes programming focused on empowering women leaders in the water sector, increasing gender equality in water utilities, and empowering women as environmental stewards in their communities. The project is co-funded by USAID and the Government of Canada. (PDO1, PRG2, PRG3)

Net Zero World Climate Smart Women’s Leadership Program: Launched at COP27, this program will provide women energy leaders from partner countries a two-week visit to U.S. Department of Energy laboratories, as well as ongoing coaching and mentoring. The program offers selected women leaders technical training, peer learning, and information sharing on clean energy analysis tools and data, advanced technology performance testing and validation mechanisms and resources, policy and deployment best practices, and finance mobilization. (PDO3, PRG1)

Pacific Regional Women in Energy Conference and Clean Energy Workshop: The Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources, U.S. Embassy Suva (Fiji), and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) co-hosted a Pacific Regional Women in Energy and Clean Energy Workshop for approximately 80 participants. The event launched the Department of State’s Women in Energy Strategy and announced a biogas grant for Tuvalu from the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. U.S. representatives engaged local energy officials, utilities, private companies, and educational and research bodies to commit to the institutional changes, policies, and practices that will increase women’s access to energy sector opportunities and promote clean energy transition in the region. The conference concluded with the election of a regional steering committee that will oversee implementation of SPC’s three-year Pacific Energy Gender Strategic Action Plan. (PDO3, PDO4)

Power Central Asia Activity: Through USAID’s Power Central Asia program, USAID/Kyrgyz Republic is increasing women’s empowerment and leadership in the energy sector of Kyrgyz Republic and on climate change mitigation efforts. In August 2022, USAID Power Central Asia Activity, in cooperation with the newly established Association of Women in Energy in Kyrgyz Republic, brought together over 70 women working in energy sectors of Central Asian republics for a regional conference on “Women in Energy.” The conference included discussions on gender equality and social inclusion, continuing education, improving the visibility of female champions, and capacity-building in the sectors of renewable energy and climate mitigation and adaptation. (PDO3, PDO4)

PP226 at the Foreign Service Institute: Since December 2022, Foreign Service Institute course PP226, Promoting Gender Equity to Advance Foreign Policy, has included a mini-module and question-and-answer session on the nexus of gender and climate change. (CB2)

Preventing Child, Early, and Forced Marriage in Bangladesh: Through the GEEA Fund, U.S. Embassy Dhaka is developing a program aiming to mitigate the increase in child, early, and forced marriage (CEFM) rates in climate vulnerable coastal areas in the southern districts of Bangladesh. This project will advance women’s and girls’ economic empowerment through six-month apprenticeships for 1,200 girls aged 14–18. The apprenticeships will focus on technical, vocational, and soft skills training for girls who have dropped out of school and are more vulnerable to CEFM. (PDO2, PDO3, PRG1, PRG2)

Producer Owned Women Enterprises (POWER): This USAID/India activity empowers rural women to become micro-entrepreneurs who collectively own and operate their enterprises. The activity also addresses restrictive social norms to increase support for women as entrepreneurs and demonstrates scalable models and approaches for women’s empowerment through sustainable use of locally available natural resources. The activity currently promotes enterprises/value chains based on banana bark, bamboo, and non-timber forest products. (PDO3, PRG1, PRG2)

Program Alumnae Tackling Sustainability Challenges: U.S. Consulate General Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) supported two women alumnae’s projects at the intersection of environmental sustainability and gender. Gabriela Santos, Youth Ambassadors 2022, created Circle of Love, which visits public schools to donate ecological pads, talk about sexual and reproductive health issues, and explain the environmental impact of disposable pads compared to possible alternatives. Ester Barros, Academy of Women Entrepreneurs alumna, is the executive director of Associação Arte sem Fronteira, a nonprofit organization empowering women to generate income by transforming textile waste. (PDO2, PDO3)

Protecting Rivers in Bangladesh: The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), led by 2022 International Women of Courage awardee Syeda Rizwana Hasan, received a grant from U.S. Embassy Dhaka to protect rivers from industrial pollution. In many parts of the country, women and girls are negatively impacted as they increasingly face new challenges when it comes to collecting fresh water for their families, as well as irrigating their crops from natural water sources. Under this project, BELA will identify the most polluted rivers and the industries responsible for pollution in Chattogram, Dhaka, and Sylhet. BELA will mobilize communities to monitor river water quality and consult with environmental groups to develop strategies that initiate legal action required for protecting rivers in Bangladesh. (PDO1, PRG3)

Providing Opportunities for Women’s Economic Rise (POWER): POWER is the Department of State Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs’ flagship women’s economic empowerment program. It connects the U.S. private sector with women entrepreneurs and business leaders abroad—helping them build partnerships, increase supply chain diversity, access international markets, generate opportunities for trade and investment, and share best practices. (PDO3)

Recognizing Women Environmental Leaders: U.S. Mission Brazil’s Gender Equality and Empowerment Working Group flagship program, the Brazilian Women Making a Difference Award, recognizes outstanding women during Women’s History Month. This honor was recently bestowed upon Sineia Wapichana, an Indigenous climate leader; Aline Souza, a leader in recycling; and Txai Surui, an Indigenous climate justice advocate. (PDO4)

Reforestation Efforts in Brazil: A grant of $20,000 from U.S. Embassy Branch Office Belo Horizonte (Brazil) to the NGO Association of Friends of Iracambi will strengthen climate resilience through an integrated program of community ecosystem restoration in a priority watershed conservation area of the Atlantic Forest biome. Iracambi’s involvement of the community in reforestation efforts and environmental education supports gender equality by helping educate and train women and girls. Supporting civil society organizations like Iracambi promotes female leadership in climate change, particularly in research, forest monitoring and planting, and medicinal plant usage development. (PDO3, PRG1, PRG3)

Regional Coastal Biodiversity Project: USAID’s Regional Coastal Biodiversity Project improves livelihoods and reduces threats to coastal marine ecosystems in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala by opening new economic opportunities based on sustainable management of natural resources. It aims to strengthen women’s livelihoods while also supporting sustainable resource management. To do so it has engaged men and boys in trainings on positive masculinities for the prevention of gender-based violence. (PDO2, PDO3, PRG2)

Resilient, Inclusive, and Sustainable Environment (RISE) Challenge: Managed by Advancing Gender in the Environment, funded through USAID, the RISE Challenge provides grants to organizations working to address GBV in climate sectors. The winners of RISE grants contribute new learning to the global community on how to include GBV considerations and prevention within environment programming. (PDO1, PDO2, PRG2, PRG3)

Rural Sustainability and Afforestation Project: With a grant from U.S. Consulate General Mumbai (India), the Mann Deshi Foundation will train 100 smallholder women farmers in sustainable farming practices and promote afforestation in the drought-prone Mann region in Maharashtra. This one-year training program will help farmers reduce costs, improve soil quality, and safeguard biodiversity. (PDO3, PRG1, PRG3)

SERVIR: A partnership between USAID and NASA, SERVIR supports local decision-makers across the developing world to use geospatial technology to manage the effects of climate change. The SERVIR network prioritizes integration of gender considerations in the use of Earth observations and geospatial technologies activities through use of a custom Gender Analysis Tool in the service design process. This ensures inclusion of women as co-developers and responds to the differentiated needs of women and men. SERVIR also trains and empowers women to explore STEM fields. (PDO1, PDO3, PRG1, PRG2)

SilvaCarbon: SilvaCarbon is an interagency technical cooperation program funded by USAID and the Office of Global Change within the Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs to enhance tropical forested countries’ capacity to monitor, measure, and report on carbon in their forests and other lands. Program implementation is led by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) with additional contributions from the Environmental Protection Agency and NASA. The SilvaCarbon Women in Forest Carbon Initiative was launched in February 2021 to address years of data that demonstrated a lack of women in carbon monitoring activities; the initiative now includes activities in several countries. (PDO1, PRG2)

South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP): SAREP is a flagship energy program of USAID/India to advance objectives of the U.S. Government’s Clean Asia Enhancing Development and Growth through Energy (Clean EDGE) initiative in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Interventions planned to address gender equality and social inclusion challenges and barriers in the South Asian energy sector include: (1) human capital assessment and development of Gender and Social Inclusion Action Plans and Policies; (2) integration of gender inclusion into SAREP partnership fund grants; (3) outreach and advocacy for mainstreaming gender in the energy sector; and (4) collaboration with South Asian Women in Energy. (PDO3, PRG1, PRG2)

State Department Resources on Gender and Climate Change: The Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues at the Department of State, in collaboration with the Gender and Climate Collaborators working group, has developed myriad resources on the nexus of gender and climate change to facilitate integration of the topic into ongoing policy, programming, and public diplomacy efforts. These resources include talking points, programming tools, materials for planning events and engagements, open-source reading library, and summaries of the gender-climate nexus in each geopolitical region. (CB2)

Strengthening Women Health Workforce in Rural Azerbaijan: Using GEEA Funds, USAID/Azerbaijan is co-designing with UNICEF a households activity focused on a universal-progressive model of wellness care, children’s development monitoring, and mother’s mental health status. The aim is to empower women and girls in rural hard-to-reach communities and strengthen the healthcare workforce (77 percent women) by integrating environmental health, GBV related to climate change, and climate-related disease issues/interventions into the skill sets of primary health workers, home-visitors, and primary healthcare facilities. (PDO2, PRG1, PRG2)

Sustainable and Safe Transport in Rwanda and Kenya: A $9 million DFC loan is helping Ampersand build and support a fleet of over 1,000 electric motorbikes in Rwanda (with expansion to Kenya) to provide sustainable replacements to gas-powered motorcycle taxis. Through this investment, DFC is helping Ampersand expand its cohort of women drivers who are gaining their motorcycle licenses and increasing ridership to more women customers who feel safer driven by a woman motorcycle taxi driver. (PDO2, PDO3, PRG1)

Training for Women Government Officials in Maharashtra: U.S. Consulate General Mumbai will oversee an American Spaces Support Funds grant to train 100 women government officials in Maharashtra (India) to be more aware, knowledgeable, and skilled and lead on policy, planning, and communication issues related to climate, environment, and health. (PDO1)

Tropical Forest Alliance: The Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) is a global public-private partnership where partners take voluntary actions toward achieving the goal of deforestation-free commodities. Partners represent actors from the private sector, government, civil society, Indigenous peoples’ groups, local communities and international organizations. As a contribution to its membership and when it was Chair, USAID commissioned and published a guide called Cultivating a More Equitable and Inclusive TFA 2020, which identifies key resources, risks and opportunities, and best practices relevant to integrating gender equity and inclusion in sustainable commodity production and sourcing. (PDO3, PRG2)

USAID Commitment to Action on the Gender-Climate Nexus: Through the GEEA Fund, USAID supports gender-climate action, including a suite of commitments that scale women’s access to green jobs, in partnership with the Department of Energy, advance women’s economic security through promoting women’s land rights, and other programming activities. (PDO3, PDO4, PRG1, PRG2, PRG3)

Waste Management in Zambia: Through its small grants program, the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at the Department of State is funding the Centre for Zero Waste and Development in Africa. Ninety-four percent of the Centre’s membership is female, and the project will establish a training center where the practical applications of principles (i.e., refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle) can be taught and executed to ultimately achieve zero waste in Serenje. Specific activities will include upcycling of chitenge fabric materials into saleable items, repurposing plastic waste, and selling compost. (PDO3, PRG1)

White House Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Indigenous Knowledge: In November 2022, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Council on Environmental Quality released the first-ever government-wide guidance on how U.S. federal agencies can better recognize and apply Indigenous Knowledge (also known as Traditional Ecological Knowledge) in their work, including work related to climate change. The guidance, first previewed at COP27, acknowledges gender disparities in climate impacts and the important role that Indigenous Knowledge can play in assessing and addressing the climate crisis. (PDO4, CB1)

Women Environmental Defenders in Southeast Asia (WE-Defend): WE-Defend is currently a two-year project supported by the Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and implemented in Southeast Asia. The program aims to increase the participation of women in decision-making processes by empowering women environmental defenders to meaningfully and safely participate across all levels of environmental governance and to improve access to justice for women environmental defenders who have faced threats of violence due to their work. (PDO1, PDO2, PRG2, PRG3)

Women in Agriculture Mentoring Network: The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Women in Agriculture Mentoring Network is a way to connect, share stories, and share experiences with fellow women in agriculture. The goal is to promote the image, role, and leadership of women not only on the farm, but leading youth organizations, conducting cutting edge research at universities across the country, and leading in the boardrooms of global corporations. (PDO3, PDO4)

Women in Energy Strategy: The Bureau of Energy Resources launched the Women in Energy Strategy that the Department of State is piloting with the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues. The strategy encourages local partners to engage energy officials, utilities, private companies, and educational and research bodies to increase women’s access to energy sector opportunities. Elements include events, public outreach, institutional connections, integration of gender considerations into energy-focused activities and programs, and linkages to Administration and Department guidance and programming (such as the U.S. Strategy on Global Women’s Economic Security). The Bureau of Energy Resources is in the process of launching the strategy globally. (PDO3)

Women in Energy Thailand: The Public Affairs Section of U.S. Embassy Bangkok (Thailand), with local partners, held a Women in Energy Forum in October 2022 aimed at amplifying institutional reform around women’s inclusion and leadership in the energy sector. The forum created awareness amongst 150 participants about the role of women in energy and empowered women professionals to seize competitive leadership opportunities. (PDO3, PDO4)

Women in Power System Transformation: Women in Power System Transformation aims to expand leadership opportunities for women in power system operations. A joint initiative from USAID, the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab, Imperial College London, and the Global Power System Transformation Consortium, the project works to increase gender equality in the global transition to clean energy by providing in-depth technical capacity building for women in emerging economies so they achieve employment in the rapidly evolving power sector. (PDO3, PRG1)

Women Overcoming the World’s Climate Crisis Through STEM (WOW-CCs): Managed by the Department of State’s Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, WOW-CCs aims to support women-led and women-supporting networks and coalitions implementing and scaling up community-led, STEM-informed solutions that mitigate or promote adaptation to the negative effects of climate change in select countries in the East Asia and the Pacific region. (PDO1, PDO4, PRG1)

Women Shellfishers and Food Security: Building the evidence-base for women’s empowerment in shellfish management, this activity in coastal West Africa is a driver of mangrove conservation and resulting food security and nutrition outcomes. Through engagement with key local, national, and regional stakeholders, this USAID project is developing a rights-based, participatory management tool based on ecosystem sustainability that addresses drivers of deforestation and their gender dynamics. (PDO3, PRG2)

Workshop on Gender and Climate Change: A U.S. Consulate General Sao Paulo (Brazil) grant offered six virtual and in-person workshops at the University of Connecticut and Pontifical Catholic University of Parana to foster understanding of U.S. policies and perspectives and promote deeper understanding of gender equity in climate change and the environment. Workshop participants left with a better understanding of legal issues related to climate change, intersectional factors that produce varying impacts by gender, and innovative tools and legal remedies to tackle these challenges. (PDO1, PRG2)

Workshops for Hyderabad Women Entrepreneurs of Green Businesses: A grant from U.S. Consulate General Hyderabad (India) assisted in organizing three workshops in which 36 women entrepreneurs of green businesses and startups were helped to build capacity, scale-up operations, and seek funding, markets, and networking opportunities. One hundred percent of attendees stated that they have a better understanding of green businesses after these events. Additionally, the program helped two women operating in tier-III towns to apply to the NEXUS program, where they will be incubated for ten weeks and have unparalleled access to networks of industry and government partners, training with top commercialization experts, an extensive mentor network, and funders specializing in supporting startups. (PDO3)