Objectives

The island of Cyprus faces significant and disproportionate impacts of climate change, including deteriorating air quality and increasingly extreme weather events, which are projected to intensify at a faster rate than the global average. These challenges are compounded by existing gender inequalities, where traditional roles often limit women’s access to resources, decision-making, and adaptive mechanisms.

Women continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields and green jobs worldwide, despite clear evidence that diverse participation fosters stronger and more inclusive climate solutions. Cultural norms and systemic barriers further discourage women’s entry into STEM education and green careers, perpetuating their vulnerabilities to climate risks and limiting their opportunities to lead solutions.

Recognizing these critical challenges, the Technical Committee on Gender Equality and the Technical Committee on Environment have jointly launched the Strengthening Gender Equality in STEM for Climate Resilience project. This collaborative initiative aims to address the gender disparities in STEM and equip women with the knowledge and skills necessary to respond to the challenges posed by climate change. By enhancing young women’s understanding of climate change’s impact on their lives and providing targeted training opportunities, the project seeks to empower women to take an active role in building climate resilience and fostering a more inclusive STEM field across the island.

The project will include:

• A survey, targeting mainly young women in STEM fields to study the perceptions of young women about the STEM fields and access their level of awareness and knowledge about how climate change effects are affecting their lives.
• A report on the results of the survey, including research on existing data of women in STEM careers and information on the risks and negative effects of climate change on youth, women and vulnerable groups.
• Workshops and trainings on Gender and Climate Change to enhance women’s awareness on climate change effects and prepare them for addressing those risks.

Results

This is an ongoing project and its results will be updated in due course.

BACK TO PROJECT PAGE