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Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate
change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes
CSW 66 Agreed conclusions
1. The Commission on the Status of Women reaffirms the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the
outcome documents of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly and the declarations
adopted by the Commission on the occasion of the tenth, fifteenth, twentieth and twenty-fifth anniversaries
of the Fourth World Conference on Women and stresses the need to further strengthen their implementation.
2. The Commission reiterates that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
and the Optional Protocols thereto, as well as other relevant conventions and treaties, such as the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the International Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the International Convention on the Protection
of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families provide an international legal
framework and a comprehensive set of measures for realizing gender equality and the empowerment of all
women and girls and the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all
women and girls, throughout their life course.
3. The Commission reaffirms that the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcome
documents of its reviews, and the outcomes of relevant major United Nations conferences and summits and
the follow-up to those conferences and summits, have laid a solid foundation for sustainable development
and that the full, effective and accelerated implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action will make a crucial contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development and to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
4. The Commission emphasizes the mutually reinforcing relationship among achieving gender equality and
the empowerment of all women and girls, and the full, effective and accelerated implementation of the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development. It acknowledges that achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all
women and girls and women’s full, equal effective and meaningful participation and decision-making in
the context of climate change, environmental degradation and disaster risk reduction is essential for
achieving sustainable development, promoting peaceful, just and inclusive societies, enhancing inclusive
and sustainable economic growth and productivity, ending poverty in all its forms and dimensions
everywhere and ensuring the well-being of all. It recognizes that women and girls play a vital role as agents
of change for sustainable development.
5. The Commission acknowledges the important role played by regional conventions, instruments and
initiatives in their respective regions and countries, and their follow-up mechanisms, in the achievement of
gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls including in the context of climate change,
environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes.
6. The Commission reaffirms the commitments to gender equality and the empowerment of all women and
girls made at relevant United Nations summits and conferences, including the International Conference on
Population and Development and its Programme of Action and the outcome documents of its reviews. It
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recognizes that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action
(SAMOA) Pathway, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, the Addis Ababa
Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, the New Urban
Agenda and the World Summit for Social Development and the Political declaration of the high-level
meeting on universal health coverage, contribute, inter alia, to achieving gender equality and the
empowerment of all women and girls and the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms
in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes.
7. The Commission reiterates that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development needs to be implemented
in a comprehensive manner, reflecting its universal, integrated and indivisible nature, taking into account
different national realities, capacities and levels of development, and respecting each country’s policy space
and leadership while remaining consistent with relevant international rules and commitments, including by
developing cohesive sustainable development strategies to achieve gender equality and the empowerment
of all women and girls. The Commission affirms that Governments have the primary responsibility for the
follow-up to and review of the 2030 Agenda at the national, regional and global levels with regard to
progress made.
8. The Commission also reaffirms the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the
Paris Agreement adopted under the Convention and the Glasgow Climate Pact as one of its latest outcomes,
as well as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention to Combat Desertification in Those
Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa, the Basel
Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, the
Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and
Pesticides in International Trade, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, and the
Minamata Convention on Mercury.
9. The Commission recalls that the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change and the Glasgow Climate Pact acknowledges that climate change is a
common concern of humankind. It reaffirms the long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement to hold
the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue
efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and notes as recognized in the
Glasgow Climate Pact that the impacts of climate change will be much lower at the temperature increase of
1.5 °C compared with 2 °C. It resolves to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C; and also
recognizes that limiting global warming to 1.5 °C requires rapid, deep and sustained reductions in global
greenhouse gas emissions, including reducing global carbon dioxide emissions by 45 per cent by 2030
relative to the 2010 level and to net zero around mid-century, as well as deep reductions in other greenhouse
gases.
10. The Commission further recalls in this regard Article 2, paragraph 2, of the Paris Agreement, which
provides that the Paris Agreement will be implemented to reflect equity and the principle of common but
differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances.
11. The Commission also recalls that Member States should, when taking action to address climate change,
respect, promote and consider their respective obligations on human rights, the right to health, the rights of
indigenous peoples, local communities, migrants, children, persons with disabilities and people in
vulnerable situations, and the right to development, as well as gender equality, the empowerment of women
and intergenerational equity. The Commission also encourages Member States to increase the full,
meaningful and equal participation of women in climate action and to ensure gender-responsive

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implementation and means of implementation, which are vital for raising ambition and achieving climate
goals.
12. The Commission also takes note of the adoption by the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change of the Enhanced Lima work programme on gender and its
gender action plan at its twenty-fifth session and recognizes the value of national gender and climate change
focal points.
13. The Commission recognizes that the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 calls
for the integration of a gender, age, disability and cultural perspective into all policies and practices, while
taking into account national circumstances, and consistent with domestic laws as well as international
obligations and commitments, and women and youth leadership should be promoted. It also recognizes that
empowering women and persons with disabilities to publicly lead and promote gender equitable and
universally accessible response, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction approaches is key, including to
effectively manage disaster risk and designing, resourcing and implementing gender-sensitive disaster risk
reduction policies, plans and programmes. It also recalls that the Sendai Framework recognizes women’s
participation and leadership as critical for disaster risk reduction.
14. The Commission recalls General Assembly resolution 71/312 of 6 July 2017 endorsing the declaration
entitled “Our ocean, our future: call for action”, and recognizes the importance of gender equality and the
crucial role of women and youth in the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine
resources for sustainable development.
15. The Commission also recalls the establishment of the women, peace and security agenda and reaffirms
that the full, equal, effective and meaningful participation of women in all stages of peace processes,
conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding is one of the essential factors for the maintenance
and promotion of international peace and security, including in the context of climate change,
environmental degradation and disasters.
16. The Commission recalls the Declaration on the Right to Development, the United Nations Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants.
17. The Commission reaffirms that the promotion and protection of, and respect for, the human rights and
fundamental freedoms of all women and girls, including the right to development, which are universal,
indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, are crucial for the full and equal participation of women and
girls in society and for women’s economic empowerment and should be mainstreamed into all policies and
programmes. It also reaffirms the need to take measures to ensure that every person is entitled to participate
in, contribute to and enjoy economic, social, cultural and political development, and that equal attention
and urgent consideration should be given to the promotion, protection and full realization of civil, political,
economic, social and cultural rights, including in the context of climate change, environmental degradation
and disaster risk reduction.

18. The Commission expresses concern that climate change, pollution of air, land and water,
biodiversity loss and decline in ecosystem functions and services threaten the full enjoyment of
human rights of all women and girls and have acute impacts on women and girls, especially on
rural, indigenous and migrant women and girls.

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19. The Commission acknowledges that multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and
marginalization are obstacles to women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life
as well as to the elimination of violence. It respects and values the diversity of situations and conditions of
women and girls and recognizes that some women face particular barriers to their empowerment. It also
stresses that, while all women and girls have the same human rights, women and girls in different contexts
have particular needs and priorities, requiring appropriate responses.
20. The Commission recognizes the importance of relevant International Labour Organization standards
related to the realization of women’s right to work and rights at work which are critical to ensure a just
transition of the workforce and the creation of decent work and quality jobs in accordance with nationally
defined development priorities towards an inclusive, low greenhouse gas emission and climate-resilient
development and sustainable economy. It also recalls the decent work agenda of the International Labour
Organization and the International Labour Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights
at Work and notes the importance of their effective implementation.
21. The Commission calls for creating space for youth, especially young women and girls, to participate in
shaping the decisions on climate change, environmental degradation and disasters that will affect their
future and, to this end, enhancing curricula at all levels of education. It recognizes multistakeholder efforts
on the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, and the realization of
their human rights, taking note of all international, regional and national initiatives in this regard, to advance
the full, effective and accelerated implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
22. The Commission reaffirms that climate change is among the greatest challenges of our time and affects
all regions. It expresses profound alarm that greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise globally. It
recognizes that countries are already experiencing increasing impacts, including biodiversity loss, extreme
weather events, land degradation, desertification and deforestation, sand and dust storms, persistent
drought, sea level rise, coastal erosion, ocean acidification and the retreat of mountain glaciers, causing
severe disruptions to societies, economies, employment, agricultural, industrial and commercial systems,
global trade, supply chains and travel, with devastating impact on sustainable development, including on
poverty eradication, livelihoods, threatening food security and nutrition and water accessibility. It remains
deeply concerned that all women and girls, particularly in developing countries and small island developing
States, are disproportionately affected by the adverse impacts of climate change, environmental degradation
and disasters and are disproportionately exposed to risk and increased loss of livelihoods during and in the
aftermath of disasters. It further acknowledges the important role of women and girls as agents of change,
along with indigenous peoples and local communities, in safeguarding the environment.
23. The Commission stresses the urgency of eliminating persistent historical and structural inequalities,
racism, stigmatization and xenophobia, unequal power relations between women and men, discriminatory
laws and policies, negative social norms and gender stereotypes, the unequal sharing of unpaid care and
domestic work, gender-based violence, and eradicating poverty and disadvantages in access to resources,
social protection systems and public services, including universal health services and quality education, to
realize gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, including in the context of climate
change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes.
24. The Commission notes the importance of ensuring the integrity of all ecosystems, including oceans,
and the protection of biodiversity, recognized by some cultures as Mother Earth, and noting the importance
for some of the concept of "climate justice" when taking action to address climate change.

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25. The Commission recognizes that gender inequality coupled with climate change, environmental
degradation and disasters pose a challenge for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development with disproportionate impacts on women and girls, especially those in vulnerable and
marginalized situations and conflict settings and those facing multiple and intersecting forms of
discrimination on the basis of race, colour, sex, age, language, religion, political or other opinion, national
or social origin, property, birth, disability or other status.
26. The Commission is concerned that climate change, environmental degradation and more frequent and
intense disasters caused by natural hazards often result in loss of homes and livelihoods, water scarcity and
disruption to supply, destruction and damage to schools and health facilities, including transportation
systems, and the displacement of women and girls and their families and communities. It recognizes that
as a result of displacement, including forced and prolonged displacement, women and girls face specific
challenges, including separation from support networks, homelessness, increased risk of all forms of
violence, including sexual and gender-based violence and reduced access to employment, education and
essential health-care services, including sexual and reproductive health-care services, and psychosocial
support.
27. The Commission reiterates the importance of mainstreaming a gender perspective in disaster risk
management, taking into account the perspectives of all women and girls including those in vulnerable
situations and women and girls with disabilities. It recognizes the need for the inclusive participation and
contribution of all women and girls, older women, widows, indigenous women and girls, local communities,
youth, volunteers, migrants, academia, scientific and research entities and networks, business, professional
associations, private sector financing institutions and the media, in all forums and processes related to
disaster risk reduction, in accordance with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
28. The Commission expresses concern that the economic and social fallout of the coronavirus disease
(COVID-19) pandemic has compounded the impacts of climate change, environmental degradation and
disasters and has pushed people further behind and into extreme poverty. It further expresses deep concern
over the increased demand for unpaid care and domestic work and the reported surge of all forms of
violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, as well as harmful practices, such as child, early and
forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
29. The Commission emphasizes the critical role that women play in disaster response and COVID-19
recovery efforts. It recalls that women represent the vast majority of front-line health and social workers
and that they are significantly engaged in the delivery of essential and public services. It recognizes that the
fight against the COVID-19 pandemic requires a global response based on solidarity and renewed
multilateral cooperation. It further recognizes that sustainable and inclusive recovery strategies are needed
to reduce risks of future shocks, including through strengthening health systems and achieving universal
health coverage, and that all responses are implemented with full respect for human rights. It expresses
deep concern that, despite international agreements, initiatives and general declarations, there is a lack of
equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, especially for developing countries.
30. The Commission emphasizes that legal, policy and programme frameworks and all decision-making
processes regarding climate and environmental action and disaster risk management should provide a
cohesive basis for gender-responsive governance that respects, protects and fulfills all human rights and
responds to the needs of all women and girls in diverse situations and conditions as agents and beneficiaries
of change. The Commission reaffirms that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
is the primary international, intergovernmental forum for addressing the global response to climate change.
It acknowledges that women’s and girls’ capacities to take action and build resilience depend on closing
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the gender gaps and removing existing structural barriers, negative social norms and gender stereotypes,
and strengthening women’s access to education, knowledge, universal social protection, finance,
technology, mobility and other assets as well as ownership of and control over land, and other forms of
property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including
microfinance. It also recognizes that women’s full, equal, effective and meaningful participation and
leadership at all levels of decision-making are critical for making climate change and environmental actions
and disaster risk reduction and recovery efforts more effective. The Commission recognizes that women’s
and girls’ knowledge of their communities and environment can position them to develop meaningful,
effective, and culturally relevant solutions to local climate, environmental and disaster challenges.
31. The Commission acknowledges the important role of national machineries for gender equality and the
empowerment of all women and girls, the relevant contribution of national human rights institutions where
they exist, and the important role of civil society and the media, in achieving gender equality and the
empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk
reduction policies and programmes.
32. The Commission recognizes the need to take a whole-of-government approach to ensure that climate
change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes are gender-responsive,
including through the coordination and capacity-building of parliamentarians, national gender equality
mechanisms, mayors, local elected officials, and municipalities and the institutions responsible for
measures to address climate change, environment and disaster risk reduction. It emphasizes the importance
of the work of the scientific community in support of strengthening the global response to climate change,
environmental degradation and disasters and respecting and protecting the traditional and ancestral
knowledge, including of indigenous peoples.
33. The Commission recognizes that women’s full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership in
multilateral, national and local policy processes and, as appropriate, that of girls are vital for achieving
sustainable development and climate, environmental and disaster risk reduction goals, while regretting that
women continue to be underrepresented in decision-making processes.
34. The Commission recognizes that women often take the lead in promoting an environmental ethic,
reducing resource use, and reusing and recycling resources to minimize waste and excessive consumption,
and that women can have a particularly powerful role in influencing sustainable consumption decisions. It
further recognizes that women in many communities provide the main labour force for subsistence
production and have responsibility safeguarding the natural environment and adequate and sustainable
resource allocation within the household and the community.
35. The Commission welcomes the major contributions of civil society organizations, especially women’s,
young women’s, girls’, youth-led, grassroots and community-based organizations, rural, indigenous and
feminist groups, women human rights defenders, women journalists and media professionals and trade
unions, in promoting and protecting the human rights of all women and girls, placing their interests, needs
and visions on local, national, regional and international agendas and in the design, implementation,
monitoring and evaluation of measures to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and
girls, including in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and
programmes. It also expresses concern that they face many challenges and barriers to full, equal and
meaningful participation and leadership, including diminishing funding, violence, harassment, reprisals and
threats to the physical security of their members.

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36. The Commission expresses concern that climate change, environmental degradation, exposure to
hazards and biodiversity loss have increased vulnerability and inequality with direct and indirect
implications for the enjoyment of human rights and well-being of young women, and girls, including
adolescent girls, particularly in developing countries and small island developing States.
37. The Commission recognizes the important role of young women and girls in accelerating climate and
environmental action and disaster risk reduction, and that tackling these challenges requires coordinated
action between Governments and other stakeholders, including women and youth and youth-led
organizations. It further recognizes that young women are too often excluded from consultations on issues
that affect them and encourages Member States to further promote youth participation and perspectives in
climate and environmental action and disaster risk reduction.
38. The Commission acknowledges that strengthening the resilience of all women and girls throughout their
life course and of their communities and societies to climate change, environmental degradation and
disasters is essential to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns across economies. It also
acknowledges that natural resources and ecosystems and women’s labour are treated as infinite and are
undervalued in the current metrics of economic growth, such as GDP, despite being essential to all
economies and the wellbeing of present and future generations and the planet. It further acknowledges that
recognizing, reducing and redistributing women’s disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic work,
and rewarding and representing paid care work, would greatly contribute to this transformation. Although
significant gender gaps remain in all areas, including in pay, pensions and care, the Commission further
recognizes that equal pay for work of equal value and equal access to social protection, universal health
coverage, public services, sustainable infrastructure, livelihoods, land and natural resources are
fundamental for strengthening the resilience of women and girls, especially those in vulnerable situations.
39. The Commission strongly condemns all forms of violence against women and girls, which are rooted
in historical and structural inequalities and unequal power relations between men and women. It recognizes
that the adverse impacts of climate change and environmental challenges increase and exacerbate the
vulnerability of women and girls to discrimination and all forms of violence. It reiterates that violence
against women and girls in all its forms and manifestations, online and offline, in public and private spheres,
including sexual and gender-based violence, such as sexual harassment, domestic violence, gender-related
killings, including femicide, harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital
mutilation, as well as child and forced labour, trafficking in persons and sexual exploitation and abuse are
pervasive, underrecognized and underreported, particularly at the community level. It expresses deep
concern that women and girls may be particularly vulnerable to violence because of multidimensional
poverty, disability, limited or lack of access to justice, effective legal remedies and psychosocial services,
including protection, rehabilitation, reintegration, and to health-care services. It re-emphasizes that violence
against women and girls is a major impediment to the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment
of all women and girls and that it violates and impairs or nullifies their full enjoyment of all human rights
and fundamental freedoms.
40. The Commission recognizes that girls are often at greater risk of being exposed to and experiencing
various forms of discrimination and violence, and harmful practices, such as child, early and forced
marriage and female genital mutilation, as well as child labour and trafficking, which, among other things,
hinder the realization of their rights, and reaffirms the need to achieve gender equality to ensure a just and
equitable world for girls, including by partnering with men and boys, as an important strategy for advancing
the rights of girls.

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41. The Commission recognizes that violence against women and girls, including sexual harassment in
private and public spaces, including in educational institutions and the world of work, as well as in digital
contexts, impedes participation and decision-making in the context of climate change, environmental and
disaster risk reduction policies and programmes and leads to a hostile environment.
42. The Commission further recognizes that the growing prevalence of violence against women and girls
in digital contexts, especially on social media, and the lack of preventive measures and remedies underline
the need for action by Member States in partnership with other stakeholders to prevent and respond to
violence and harassment online and offline and other negative effects of technological development. It
recalls that emerging forms of violence, such as cyberstalking, cyberbullying and privacy violations, are
affecting a high percentage of women and girls and compromising, inter alia, their health, emotional,
psychological and physical well-being and safety.
43. The Commission underlines the particular impacts of climate change, environmental degradation, and
disasters on women and girls in conflict-affected and post-conflict settings, and stresses that the full, equal,
effective and meaningful participation of women at all levels of decision-making and leadership is critical
in all stages of peace processes, conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. The Commission
further expresses concern for the heightened risks of violence against women and girls during disasters and
conflicts including violence and abuse in shelters during disasters and conflicts. It emphasizes the need to
address sexual and gender-based violence both during and in the aftermath of disasters and conflicts,
including by adopting preventative approaches taking into account the needs and perspectives of victims
and survivors.
44. The Commission recognizes the disruption caused by climate change, environmental degradation and
disasters to education systems across the world, often keeping girls, adolescent girls and young women out
of school, and limiting their access to education, including to the skills and knowledge needed to adapt and
respond to these challenges. It reaffirms the right to education for all women and girls, and stresses that
equal access to inclusive, equitable and quality education provides them with opportunities, capacities and
understanding that enables women’s full, equal, effective and meaningful participation and strengthens the
voice, agency and leadership of women and girls in climate, environmental and disaster risk action.
45. The Commission recognizes the adverse impact of climate change, environmental degradation and
disasters on health as well as on the other environmental determinants of health, such as clean air, safe
water and sanitation, including menstrual health and hygiene management, safe, sufficient and nutritious
food and secure shelter, and in this regard underscores the need to foster health in climate change adaptation
efforts and disaster risk reduction strategies, underlining that resilient, people-centred and accessible health
systems are necessary to protect the health of all women and girls, particularly those in vulnerable situations.
46. The Commission reaffirms that the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
is foundational to building the resilience of all women and girls. It further recognizes that climate change,
environmental degradation and disasters have differential health effects for women and girls and exacerbate
existing gender gaps in access to and outcomes of health services, especially when goods and services are
limited or unavailable owing to the destruction of infrastructure, roads and clinics, in particular in rural and
remote areas. It also underlines the need for strengthening access to gender-responsive, safe, available,
affordable, accessible, quality and inclusive health-care services, including those related to mental health,
maternal and neonatal health, menstrual health and hygiene management, and ensuring universal access to
sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education.

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47. The Commission recognizes that women and girls undertake a disproportionate share of unpaid care
and domestic work, which can be exacerbated by climate change, environmental degradation and disaster,
limits women’s ability to participate in decision-making processes and occupy leadership positions, and
poses significant constraints on women’s and girls’ education and training, and on women’s economic
opportunities and entrepreneurial activities. It stresses the need to recognize and adopt measures to reduce,
redistribute and value unpaid care and domestic work by promoting the equal sharing of responsibilities
between women and men within the household and by prioritizing, inter alia, sustainable infrastructure,
social protection policies and accessible, affordable and quality social services, including care services,
childcare and maternity, paternity or parental leave.
48. The Commission acknowledges women’s and girls’ critical contributions to their families and
communities in climate action, resilience-building, protection and conservation of the environment and
disaster risk reduction. It also recognizes the importance of implementing family-friendly and familyoriented policies aimed at, inter alia, achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and
girls and their enjoyment of all human rights in the context of climate change, environmental degradation
and disaster risk reduction, and recognizes the need to ensure that all sustainable development policies and
programmes are responsive to the changing needs and expectations of families in fulfilling their numerous
functions and that the rights, capabilities and responsibilities of all family members are respected.
49. The Commission stresses the importance of investing in accessible and sustainable infrastructure and
technology, including in rural areas, such as access to safe water and sanitation, including water for
irrigation, energy, transport and information and communications technology, and other physical
infrastructure for public services.
50. The Commission recalls that the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation are essential for the
full enjoyment of life and all human rights. It is deeply concerned that water scarcity and disruptions to
supply induced by climate change, environmental degradation and disasters disproportionately affect
women and girls with women walking long distances or waiting hours in queues to obtain water, which
restricts their time for other activities, such as education and leisure, or for earning a livelihood. The
Commission underlines that gender-responsive water and sanitation services and infrastructure are key to
bolster the resilience of all women and girls, and further recognizes the need to expand women’s and girls’
access to adequate, safe and clean water and sanitation facilities, including for menstrual health and hygiene,
especially in disaster relief and humanitarian shelters.
51. The Commission underscores that rapid technological change, including new and emerging digital
technologies, has an impact on women’s employment opportunities and can accelerate progress towards
achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change,
environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes and facilitate efforts to promote and
protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as bridge digital divides both, between and within
countries. It emphasizes the importance of promoting equal access to information and communications
technology that are affordable and accessible, and to the Internet for all women and girls, as well as digital
literacy, finance, and capacity building, working towards closing digital divides, including the gender
digital divide, and targeting science, technology and innovation strategies to reduce patterns of
inequality and promote the empowerment of all women and girls and women’s full, equal and effective
participation in public life, including in the context of climate change, environmental degradation and
disasters, and notes with concern that new technological developments can also perpetuate existing patterns
of inequality and discrimination, including in the algorithms used in artificial intelligence-based solutions.

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52. The Commission recognizes that soils, forests, fisheries, water and biomass, among others, are principal
sources of income, livelihood, food security, social protection and employment, particularly for women and
girls living in poverty. It further recognizes that the unsustainable depletion or deterioration of natural
resources can displace communities, especially women, from income-generating activities while greatly
adding to unremunerated work, and that in both urban and rural areas, environmental degradation results in
negative effects on the health, well-being and quality of life of the population at large, especially women
and girls of all ages. It also recognizes the importance of sustainable fisheries and the elimination of illegal,
unreported and unregulated fishing, on their food security, livelihoods, and health. The Commission
emphasizes the fundamental importance for women and girls of healthy oceans and sustainable ocean-based
economy in climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience as well as the impact of pollution to
ecosystem destruction and climate change, including the disproportionate impact of household air pollution
on women and girls as well as consequences of plastic pollution, including in oceans and other water bodies,
on food security, livelihoods, and the health of women and girls.
53. The Commission emphasizes that achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and
girls can result in greater food security, better nutrition and more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable food
systems for all, and that their unequal access and rights to important resources and productive assets, such
as land, water, pasture, agricultural inputs, technology and information, as well as extension and advisory
services, limits their potential to be productive in agriculture, become empowered to make strategic
decisions, and realize their rights. It also emphasizes that unequal food systems disproportionately impact
women and girls, making them more vulnerable to food insecurity and malnutrition, which is exacerbated,
inter alia, by climate change, environmental degradation and disasters.
54. The Commission recognizes the need to ensure just transitions that promote sustainable development
and eradication of poverty, and the creation of decent work and quality jobs, including for women, as well
as, involving workers and their communities in discussions that affect their livelihoods, including through
making financial flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emission and climateresilient development, including through deployment and transfer of technology, and provision of support
to developing country Parties. It expresses concern that discriminatory social norms and persistent gender
gaps and inequality in education and vocational training in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics and occupational segregation keep women from attaining and retaining decent work and
quality jobs in sustainable economies and in climate change, environment and disaster risk areas. It
emphasizes that closing gender gaps, including in digital and financial literacy, and ensuring full and equal
access to quality education, training, information, skills development, leadership and mentorship
programmes, and technical and financial support is key for increasing women’s and girls’ resilience and
empowering them as agents of change in climate action.
55. The Commission reaffirms the importance of significantly increasing investments to close resource gaps
for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls through, inter alia, the
mobilization of adequate financial resources from all sources, including domestic and international resource
mobilization and allocation, the full implementation of official development assistance commitments and
combating illicit financial flows, so as to build on progress achieved and strengthen international
cooperation, including North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation, bearing in mind that SouthSouth cooperation is not a substitute for, but rather a complement to, North-South cooperation.
56. The Commission is concerned that the lack of disaggregated data and gender statistics on climate
change, environmental degradation and disaster risk reduction across sectors, especially with regard to
women and girls in the context of environmental conservation and climate change mitigation and
adaptation, is limiting the capacity of policymakers to identify gender differences in vulnerability and
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adaptive capacity as well as to develop and adopt effective, evidence-based policies and programmes at all
levels. It recognizes that disaster risk reduction requires a multi-hazard approach and inclusive riskinformed decision-making based on the open exchange and dissemination of disaggregated data, including
by sex, age and disability, as well as on easily accessible, up-to-date, comprehensible, science-based, nonsensitive risk information, complemented by traditional knowledge.
57. The Commission recognizes the important roles and contributions of indigenous women, rural women,
women smallholder farmers and women who use coastal marine resources, as agents in eradicating poverty,
enhancing sustainable agricultural and fisheries development and food security and as guardians of
biodiversity. It highlights the importance of ensuring that the perspectives of all indigenous and rural
women and girls are taken into account and that they fully and equally participate in the design,
implementation, follow-up and evaluation of policies and activities that affect their livelihoods, well-being
and resilience. It underlines that meaningful progress in achieving gender equality and the empowerment
of all women and girls necessitates closing gender gaps, introducing gender-responsive policies,
interventions and innovations, including in agriculture and fisheries, and ensuring women’s equal access to
agricultural and fisheries technologies, technical assistance, productive resources, land tenure security and
access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance and
natural resources, as well as access to and participation in local, regional and international markets.
58. The Commission recognizes that indigenous women and girls, regardless of age, often face violence,
discrimination, exclusion and higher rates of poverty, limited access to health-care services, information
and communications technology, infrastructure, financial services, education and employment for women,
while also recognizing their cultural, social, economic and political contributions to climate change
mitigation and adaptation, disaster preparedness, response and management and environmental
conservation and management.
59. The Commission stresses the particular challenges all women and girls with disabilities face in the
context of climate change, environmental degradation and disasters, including their increased susceptibility
to diseases, heat stress, reduced mobility and social exclusion as well as the need for measures to address
the specific barriers they face, to promote their physical, emotional, psychosocial and financial resilience
and to ensure all women’s full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership in disaster response
planning for emergency situations and evacuations, humanitarian emergency response, and health-care
services.
60. The Commission emphasizes the importance of recognizing the positive contributions of migrant
women and girls, and of promoting a gender and human rights perspective in migration to address the
situations of vulnerability migrant women and girls face, including in the context of climate change,
environmental degradation and disasters, as well as to address all forms of violence, including sexual and
gender-based violence that may occur as a result of displacement, underlining in this regard the obligation
of States to protect, respect and fulfill the human rights of all migrants.
61. The Commission also recognizes the importance of the full engagement of men and boys as agents and
beneficiaries of change and as strategic partners and allies in the achievement of gender equality and the
empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk
reduction policies and programmes in order to combat and eliminate gender stereotypes, sexism and
negative social norms, that fuel discrimination and all forms of violence, including sexual and gender-based
violence and undermine gender equality, while noting the ongoing need to educate children from a young
age regarding the importance of gender equality, human rights, treating all people with dignity and respect
and promoting a culture of peace, non-violent behaviour and respectful relationships.
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62. The Commission urges governments at all levels and as appropriate, with the relevant entities of the
United Nations system and international and regional organizations, within their respective mandates and
bearing in mind national priorities, and invites civil society, inter alia, women’s organizations, youth-led
organizations, feminist groups, faith-based organizations, the private sector and, national human rights
institutions, where they exist, and other relevant stakeholders, as applicable, to take the following actions:
Strengthen normative, legal and regulatory frameworks
(a) Take action to fully implement existing commitments and obligations with respect to the
achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls and the full and equal
enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental freedoms without discrimination of any kind
including in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and
programmes;
(b) Consider ratifying or acceding to, as a matter of particular priority, the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the
Child, and the Optional Protocols thereto, limit the extent of any reservations, formulate any such
reservations as precisely and as narrowly as possible to ensure that no reservations are incompatible
with the object and purpose of the Conventions, review their reservations regularly with a view to
withdrawing them, withdraw reservations that are contrary to the object and purpose of the relevant
Convention and implement the Conventions fully by, inter alia, putting in place effective national
legislation and policies;
(c) Respect and fulfill existing commitments and obligations under the Rio conventions, the Paris
Agreement, the Glasgow Climate Pact and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, related
to climate change, biodiversity, desertification, environment and disaster risk reduction in a holistic and
integrated manner, taking into account their gender action plans and calling for the creation of such
plans where there are none and highlighting the importance of integrating a gender perspective in, and
ensuring the participation of indigenous women when elaborating, nationally determined contributions,
national adaptation plans, national biodiversity strategies and action plans, land degradation neutrality
targets, and national and local strategies for disaster risk reduction and while also noting the importance
of the ongoing discussions regarding the post-2020 global biodiversity framework to be adopted at the
fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity;
(d) Encourage that due consideration is given to incorporating gender equality and the empowerment
of all women and girls in the review of global progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework
for Disaster Risk Reduction, including through the global and regional platforms on disaster risk
reduction and the 2023 mid-term review of the Sendai framework, as part of its integrated and
coordinated follow-up processes to United Nations conferences and summits, aligned with the
Economic and Social Council, the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and the
quadrennial comprehensive policy review cycles;
(e) Promote and protect the rights of all women and girls related to the enjoyment of a clean, healthy
and sustainable environment and adopt policies and programmes for the enjoyment of these rights,
including by addressing the impacts of climate change, environmental degradation and disasters;
(f) Identify and eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls in the context of climate
change, environmental degradation and disasters, in relation to land tenure security and access to,
ownership of, and control over land, and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources,
appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance and ensure women’s and
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girls’ access to justice and accountability for violations of their human rights, with particular attention
given to older women, widows and young women;
(g) Step up multi-stakeholder efforts to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance, stigmatization, negative stereotyping and violence based on religion or belief and on
nationality, in order to support the full, equal, effective, and meaningful participation and leadership of
women and, as appropriate, girls in climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies
and programmes;
(h) Integrate a disability-inclusive and gender, perspective while developing, reviewing and
implementing laws, policies and programmes on climate change adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity
conservation and sustainable use, sustainable natural resources management, including land and water,
land-use and urban planning and disaster risk reduction that support the resilience, adaptive capacities,
livelihoods, food security, access to safe water and sanitation, health and well-being of all women and
girls in rural and urban areas, ensure women’s equal rights to economic resources, including access to
basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural
resources, technology and financial services, including microfinance;
Integrating gender perspectives into climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies
and programmes
(i) Integrate gender perspectives into the design, funding, implementation, monitoring and evaluation
of policies and programmes on climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience, disaster risk
reduction, biodiversity protection, environmental degradation and pollution, including by chemicals,
pesticides and plastics such as microplastics, as well as into needs assessments, forecasting and early
warning systems, and disaster prevention, preparedness, response, relief, rehabilitation and
reconstruction plans at the national, regional and international levels, as appropriate;
(j) Recognize and promote awareness about the disproportionate and distinct effects of climate change,
environmental degradation and disasters on women and girls, in particular those facing violence,
discrimination and displacement, harmful practices including child, early and forced marriage,
insecurity in land tenure, income and food, and ensure that policies and programmes reflect these
impacts, and take targeted action to strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacities of all women and
girls, including in cities and tropical, arctic, coastal, mountain and rural areas;
(k) Recognize the disproportionate impacts of climate change, environmental degradation and disasters
on all women and girls who are in conflict and post-conflict settings and humanitarian emergencies,
and systematically integrate gender-responsive and age-sensitive perspectives into relevant
mechanisms, policies and programming while promoting the full, equal, effective and meaningful
participation of women at all levels of decision-making and their leadership as critical to all stages of
peace processes, conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding, as well as taking into
account the perspectives of women and girls who are internally displaced and those who are refugees,
and implementing measures to eliminate sexual and gender-based violence and discrimination in this
regard, and ensuring that the human rights of all women and girls are fully respected and protected in
climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction response and recovery strategies;
(l) Strengthen coordination and gender mainstreaming across sectors and all levels of government for
the integrated formulation, implementation and evaluation of climate change, environmental and
disaster risk reduction policies and programmes, including by supporting research and awareness-

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raising activities at the national, regional and international levels on the impact of technological,
demographic, urbanization, migration and climate change trends on women and girls;
(m) Strengthen the capacity of national gender equality mechanisms at all levels, particularly in least
developed countries and small island developing States, with sustainable and adequate funding and
scaled-up voluntary technology transfer, including through national budgeting allocation and official
development assistance, to ensure the participation of such mechanisms in climate, environmental and
disaster risk governance and support the mainstreaming of a gender perspective into the design,
delivery, monitoring and evaluation of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction
policies and programmes;
(n) Refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral economic, financial or trade measures not
in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full
achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries;
(o) Ensure the full, equal, effective and meaningful participation, representation and leadership of
women, at all levels of relevant climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction decisionmaking bodies and processes, and set specific targets and timelines to achieve gender balance through,
inter alia, temporary special measures, such as quotas, and provide adequate resources, travel funds,
capacity-building and training to enable this participation;
(p) Promote the full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership of young women, and as
appropriate, adolescent girls in decision-making processes on climate change, environmental and
disaster risk reduction action by addressing gender specific barriers, ensuring their full and equal access
to quality education, technology and skills development, leadership and mentorship programmes,
increased technical and financial support, and protection from all forms of violence and discrimination;
(q) Protect and promote the rights of all women and girls with disabilities, ensuring their full, equal,
effective and meaningful participation in gender-sensitive and disability-inclusive design, management,
resourcing and implementation of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies
and programmes, and take measures to address their disproportionate exposure to risk, increased loss
of livelihoods, disruption to physical, social, economic and environmental networks and support
systems and even loss of life during and in the aftermath of disasters;
(r) Recognize that adverse impacts of climate change, environmental degradation and natural disasters
are among the drivers and factors that compel women and girls to leave their countries of origin and,
in this regard, develop and expand policies and programs for the protection of migrant women and girls
and their families affected by climate change, environmental degradation and disasters, taking note of
relevant recommendations from State-led consultative processes, such as, the Agenda for the Protection
of Cross-Border Displaced Persons in the Context of Disasters and Climate Change and the Platform
on Disaster Displacement, while recognizing the significant contribution and leadership of women in
migrant communities and taking appropriate steps to ensure their full, equal and meaningful
participation in the development of local solutions and opportunities;
(s) Leverage and strengthen the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and the influence of
all women and girls, especially those from rural areas and from the most affected communities, as well
as those in vulnerable situations in the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources as well as
climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives and programmes, including in conflict-settings and
humanitarian emergencies, and encourage sharing and learning;

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(t) Promote a gender-responsive approach and the full, equal, effective and meaningful participation of
women in decision-making and leadership of women and, as appropriate, girls in water and sanitation
and household energy management in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk
reduction policies and programmes, and take measures to reduce the time spent by women and girls on
collecting household water and fuel and protect them from threats, assaults and sexual and genderbased violence while doing so and when accessing sanitation facilities outside of their home or
practicing open defecation and urination, and ensure access to water and sanitation and hygiene,
including menstrual health and hygiene management, for all women and girls, especially those in
marginalized and vulnerable situations, including in schools and other educational settings, workplaces,
health centres, public and private facilities and at home and address widespread silence and stigma as
well as the negative impact of inadequate and inequitable access to sanitation on the access of girls to
education;
Expanding gender-responsive finance
(u) Increase the gender-responsiveness of investment in climate change, environmental and disaster
risk reduction policies and programmes by scaling up technology transfer, capacity-building and the
mobilization of financial resources from all relevant sources, including public, private, national and
international resource mobilization and allocation;
(v) Urge developed countries to fully implement their respective official development assistance
commitments, including the target of 0.7 per cent of their gross national income for ODA to developing
countries and the target of 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of their gross national income for ODA to the least
developed countries, and encourage developing countries to build on the progress achieved in ensuring
that ODA is used effectively to help meet development goals and targets and help them, inter alia, to
achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in the context of climate change,
environmental and disaster risk reduction and policies and programmes;
(w) Strengthen international and regional cooperation, including North-South, South-South and
triangular cooperation, bearing in mind that South-South cooperation is not a substitute for, but rather
a complement to, North-South cooperation, and invite all States to enhance South-South and triangular
cooperation focusing on shared development priorities, with the involvement of all relevant multiple
stakeholders in government, civil society and the private sector, while noting that national ownership
and leadership in this regard are indispensable for the achievement of gender equality and the
empowerment of all women and girls and for improving their lives and well-being;
(x) Encourages the increase of the full, meaningful and equal participation of women in climate action
and to ensure gender-responsive implementation and means of implementation, which are vital for
raising ambition and achieving climate goals, and urges in accordance with the Glasgow Climate Pact,
developed country Parties to provide enhanced support, including through financial resources,
technology transfer and capacity-building, to assist developing country Parties with respect to both
mitigation and adaptation, in continuation of their existing obligations under the under United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, and encourages other Parties to
provide or continue to provide such support voluntarily; and also reiterates the urgency of scaling up
action and support, as appropriate, including finance, technology transfer and capacity-building, for
implementing approaches to averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the
adverse effects of climate change in developing country Parties that are particularly vulnerable to these
effects.

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(y) In accordance with the Glasgow Climate Pact, emphasize the need to mobilize climate finance from
all sources to reach the level needed to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, including significantly
increasing support for developing country Parties, beyond USD 100 billion per year and notes with
deep regret that the goal of developed country Parties to mobilize jointly USD 100 billion per year by
2020 in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation has not yet
been met, and welcomes the increased pledges made by many developed country Parties and the
Climate Finance Delivery Plan: Meeting the US$100 Billion Goal and the collective actions contained
therein, and further urges developed country Parties to fully deliver on the USD 100 billion goal
urgently and through to 2025, and emphasizes the importance of transparency in the implementation of
their pledges.
(z) Provide national gender equality mechanisms and entities responsible for environmental, climate
change, and disaster risk management and reduction policies, among others, with adequate human and
financial resources to ensure that a gender perspective is integrated into the design, implementation,
and evaluation of relevant policies, programmes and projects;
(aa) Increase public and private financing to women’s civil society organizations, including young
women’s, girls’ and youth-led organizations, feminist groups, and women’s cooperatives and
enterprises for climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction initiatives, including those
that apply local and indigenous knowledge and solutions, and strengthen monitoring and accountability
at the national, regional and international levels as appropriate;
(bb) Build and strengthen the resilience and adaptative capacities of all women and girls in the context
of climate change, environmental degradation and disasters through the financing and provision of
sustainable infrastructure and public services, social protection and decent work for women;
(cc) Foster the full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership of women and, as appropriate,
of girls, living in rural areas, increase investment in gender-responsive, sustainable rural development
strategies and technological solutions to address climate change, environmental degradation and
disasters, strengthen rural women’s economic empowerment, adaptive capacity and resilience and their
access to land tenure security, decent work, infrastructure, information and communications
technologies and financial services, in particular for women heads of households and women
smallholder farmers;
(dd) Promote and protect the rights of all indigenous women and girls by addressing the multiple and
intersecting forms of discrimination and barriers they face, including violence and higher rates of
poverty, ensuring access to quality and inclusive education and employment, health care, public
services, economic resources, including land and natural resources, and promoting their full and
effective participation in the economy and in decision-making processes at all levels and in all areas,
taking into account the principle of free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples and their
ancestral knowledge and practices, and recognizing their cultural, social, economic and political
contributions to climate change mitigation and adaptation, environmental action and disaster resilience;
(ee) Promote and invest in gender-responsive, quality and inclusive education, lifelong learning,
reskilling and training including in science, technology, engineering and mathematics for women and
girls, including pregnant adolescents and young mothers as well as single mothers, to continue and
complete their education and equip them with the knowledge and skills that can strengthen their
resilience and adaptive capacities to attain high-quality jobs in the sustainable economy; address
negative social norms and gender stereotypes and persistent gender gaps in education at all levels,
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particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and information and communications
technology, and integrate the causes and consequences of climate change, environmental degradation
and disaster risk reduction in educational curricula at all levels;
(ff) Develop policies and programmes with the support, where appropriate, of international
organizations, civil society and non-governmental organizations, giving priority to formal, informal
and non-formal education programmes, including scientifically accurate and age-appropriate
comprehensive education that is relevant to cultural contexts and that provides adolescent girls and
boys and young women and men in and out of school, consistent with their evolving capacities, and
with appropriate direction and guidance from parents and legal guardians and with the best interests of
the child as their basic concern, with information on sexual and reproductive health and HIV
prevention, gender equality and women’s empowerment, human rights, physical, psychological and
pubertal development and power in relationships between women and men, to enable them to build
self-esteem and foster informed decision-making, communication and risk reduction skills and to
develop respectful relationships, in full partnership with young persons, parents, legal guardians,
caregivers, educators and health-care providers, in order to, inter alia, enable them to protect themselves
from HIV infection and other risks;
(gg) Take concrete measures to realize the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standards
of physical and mental health for all women and girls, including in humanitarian settings, and ensure
the availability, accessibility and acceptability of quality health-care services to address all
communicable and non-communicable diseases, including water-borne and neglected tropical diseases,
including through universally accessible primary health care and support services, social protection
mechanisms to help ensure the climate, environmental and disaster risk resilience of all women and
girls;
(hh) Increase financial investments in quality, affordable and accessible health-care systems and
facilities and safe, effective, quality, essential and affordable medicines and vaccines for all, as well as
health technologies, including through community outreach and private sector engagement, and with
the support of the international community, towards achieving each country’s path towards universal
health coverage for all women and girls, in the context of climate change, environmental degradation
and disasters;
(ii) Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, in accordance
with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the
Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences, including
universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning,
information and education and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and
programmes, and recognizing that the human rights of women include their right to have control over
and decide freely and responsibly on all matters related to their sexuality, including sexual and
reproductive health, free of coercion, discrimination and violence, as a contribution to the achievement
of gender equality and the empowerment of women and the realization of their human rights, including
in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes;
(jj) Take all appropriate measures to recognize, reduce and redistribute women’s and girls’
disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic work by promoting work-life balance, the equal
sharing of responsibilities between women and men within households and men’s and boys’ equitable
sharing of responsibilities with respect to care and household work, including men’s responsibility as
fathers and caregivers, through flexibility in working arrangements, without reductions in labour and
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social protections, support for breastfeeding mothers, the provision of infrastructure, technology and
public services, such as water and sanitation, renewable energy, transport and information and
communications technology, and the implementation and promotion of legislation and policies such as
maternity, paternity, parental and other leave schemes, as well as accessible, affordable and quality
social services, including child care and care facilities for children and other dependants, take steps to
measure the value of this work in order to determine its contribution to the national economy, and
challenge gender stereotypes and negative social norms in order to create an enabling environment for
women’s and girls’ empowerment in the context of climate change, environmental degradation and
disasters, including in situations of response to extreme weather events;
(kk) Bridge the digital divide including the gender digital divide to enable equal access to risk-informed
information, knowledge and communications, taking concrete measures to promote equal access for all
women and girls to digital training, capacity-building, forecasting and preparedness, including early
warning systems, through equal and accessible information and communications technologies, mobile
devices and the Internet, to promote their empowerment and digital literacy, and to develop the skills
that are needed to better cope with the adverse effects of climate change, environmental degradation
and disasters, in particular for poor women, women in rural and remote areas and women farmers and
producers;
(ll) Encourage the development, adoption and implementation of effective measures and, as
appropriate, national legislation or regulations aimed at minimizing the risks posed by chemicals, in
particular to pregnant women, infants and children, and intensify research that takes into account a
gender perspective on the impact of environmental pollutants and other harmful substances, including
the impact on reproductive health, in the context of climate change, environmental degradation and
disasters;
(mm) Eliminate, prevent and respond to all forms of violence against all women and girls, online and
offline, such as sexual and gender-based violence, including domestic violence, gender-related killings,
including femicides, all harmful practices, including child, early and forced marriage and female
genital mutilation, sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment, as well as trafficking in
persons and modern slavery and other forms of exploitation in public and private spaces, which are
exacerbated in contexts of climate change, environmental degradation and disasters, through multisectoral and coordinated approaches to investigate, prosecute and punish the perpetrators of violence
and end impunity and take appropriate measures to create a safe, enabling and violence-free working
environment for women, especially front-line workers and workers involved in disaster response and
recovery, including by ratifying key international treaties which provide protection against genderbased violence and sexual harassment;
(nn) Ensure women’s and girls’ equal access to justice and essential services, including by providing
access to comprehensive social, health and legal services for victims and survivors and by providing
accessible, confidential, supportive and effective mechanisms for all women wishing to report
incidences of violence, and increase women’s legal literacy and awareness of available legal remedies
and dispute resolution mechanisms, including in the context of climate change, environmental
degradation and disaster risk reduction and by strengthening the effectiveness, transparency and
accountability of judicial and relevant institutions at all levels;
(oo) Adopt, strengthen and implement policies, strategies and programmes to address the root causes
of, prevent and end all forms of violence against women and girls, including by combating gender
stereotypes and negative social norms and engaging all relevant stakeholders, including men and boys,
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journalists and media workers, religious and community leaders, civil society organizations, including
women’s organizations, research and educational institutions;
(pp) Strengthen the role and responsibility of the private sector, and encourage, and, where appropriate,
require all business enterprises to carry out environmental and human rights due diligence, taking into
account the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, including with regard to the
enjoyment of a clean, healthy and sustainable environment and by conducting meaningful and inclusive
consultations with potentially affected groups and other relevant stakeholders, especially those who are
at particular risk;
(qq) Support the important role of civil society actors in promoting and protecting the human rights and
fundamental freedoms of all women; take steps to protect such actors, including women human rights
defenders, particularly those working on issues related to the environment, land and natural resources
as well as the rights of indigenous peoples; integrate a gender perspective into the creation of a safe and
enabling environment for the defence of human rights and to prevent discrimination, violations and
abuses against them, such as threats, harassment, violence and reprisals, and combat impunity by taking
steps to ensure that violations or abuses are promptly and impartially investigated and that those
responsible are held accountable;
(rr) Recognize the role of women journalists and media professionals in raising public awareness about
climate, environmental and disaster issues and take measures to create and maintain, in law and in
practice, a safe and enabling environment, which allows them to perform their work independently and
without undue interference, including by combating all forms of discrimination, harassment and
violence, online and offline;
Enhancing gender statistics and data disaggregated by sex
(ss) Strengthen the capacity and coordination of national statistical and data production offices and
government institutions to collect, analyse, disseminate and use data and statistics on climate change,
environmental degradation and disasters, including data disaggregated by income, sex, age, race,
ethnicity, marital status, migration status, disability, geographical location and other characteristics
relevant in national contexts, safeguarding privacy rights and data protection, to inform the design,
implementation and tracking of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and
programmes, improve approaches to averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated
with the adverse effects of climate change, environmental degradation and disasters, and support
developing countries in this effort, including through the mobilization of financial and technical
assistance to ensure high-quality, reliable and timely disaggregated data and gender statistics;
(tt) Support and fund research and analysis to better understand the impacts of climate change,
environmental degradation and disasters on women and girls, including in relation to child, early and
forced marriage, trafficking in persons, paid and unpaid care and domestic work, health and education,
food production, water and sanitation, violence against women and girls, and in other areas, to
determine the linkages between the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women
and girls, and climate change, environmental degradation and disasters, in order to inform policies and
programmes, and to assess women's abilities to cope with and adapt to climate change, environmental
degradation and disasters, particularly in developing countries and small island developing States;
(uu) Support and finance gender-responsive, equitable and sustainable transition towards low-emission
energy systems, including by rapidly scaling up the deployment of clean power generation and energy
efficiency measures, that work for all people and the planet, taking into account the potential of
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ecosystem-based approaches or nature-based solutions with gender-sensitive and age-inclusive social
protection and care at the centre;
Fostering a gender-responsive, just transition
(vv) Protect and promote the right to work and rights at work of all women and ensure the equal access
of women to decent work and quality jobs in all sectors, such as sustainable energy, fisheries, forestry,
agriculture and tourism, by eliminating occupational segregation, discriminatory social norms and
gender stereotypes and violence and sexual harassment, supporting the transition from informal to
formal work in all sectors, ensuring their equal pay for work of equal value, protecting against
discrimination and abuse and ensuring the safety of all women in the world of work, and promoting the
right to organize and bargain collectively to advance, as well as access to sustainable livelihoods,
including in the context of a just transition of the workforce.
62. The Commission recognizes its primary role for the follow-up to the Beijing Declaration and Platform
for Action, in which its work is grounded, and stresses that it is critical to address and integrate gender
equality, and the empowerment of all women and girls throughout national, regional and global reviews of
the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to ensure synergies between the
follow-up to the Beijing Platform for Action and the gender-responsive follow-up to the 2030 Agenda.
63. The Commission calls upon the United Nations system entities, within their respective mandates, and
other relevant international financial institutions and multi-stakeholder platforms to support Member States,
upon their request, in their efforts to achieve gender equality, and the empowerment of all women and girls
in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes.
64. The Commission calls upon the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of
Women (UN-Women) to continue to play a central role in promoting gender equality, the empowerment of
all women and girls and in supporting Governments and national gender equality mechanisms, upon their
request, in coordinating the United Nations system and in mobilizing civil society, the private sector,
employers’ organizations and trade unions, and other relevant stakeholders, at all levels, in support of the
full, effective and accelerated implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and the
gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development towards achieving
gender equality, and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change,
environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes.

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