LocationsGender dimensions at the centre of global climate priorities
July 20, 2026
When people talk about climate change, they usually think first of catastrophic natural events such as droughts, floods, landslides, extreme heat and melting glaciers, or of greenhouse gas emissions that need to be reduced at an accelerated pace as record-breaking heat is increasingly observed around the world. However, the climate crisis is, first and foremost, about its impact on the well-being and livelihoods of every person. People experience and cope with its consequences differently, and their ability to adapt to changing living conditions is not equal.
Climate change affects access to water, land, food, employment and income. Since women and men often live in different social and economic realities, climate risks also affect them differently. This is why climate policy is increasingly being discussed through the lens of gender equality.
International research shows that social and economic inequality can increase people’s vulnerability to intensifying climate-related disasters. Limited access to resources, income disparities and unequal participation in decision-making all directly affect people’s ability to adapt to environmental change.
For example, in natural resource sectors, men are more often employed in technical and infrastructure-related areas, while women are more likely to work in administration, education and social services. At the same time, women are more frequently responsible for caring for their families and managing household duties. Under the pressures of climate change, this burden becomes even more pronounced.
The Gender Snapshot 2025 report states clearly that slow progress on gender equality may hinder the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and reduce the effectiveness of climate policy.
This issue is also becoming increasingly relevant for Kazakhstan, particularly in the context of natural resource sectors and ecosystem management. A gender analysis of Kazakhstan’s climate policy shows that, across the country’s strategic documents — from environmental legislation to strategies and programmes on green economy development, biodiversity conservation, energy, water and food security — gender considerations are either largely absent or mentioned only formally. Gender-disaggregated data, mechanisms for assessing differences, and systems of accountability and regulation have not yet been systematically integrated into policy.
This means that differences in access to resources, participation in the management of natural areas and the prevention of environmental risks often remain overlooked.
These disparities are particularly visible in rural areas. Women and men often have different levels of access to land, pastures, water, financing and tools for developing sustainable businesses. Women are also more likely to face time constraints because of unpaid family care responsibilities, which means they participate less frequently in environmental initiatives and local natural resource governance.
There are also troubling statistics. During extreme weather events, women and children are 14 times more likely to die than men. According to one climate scenario, by 2050, as many as 158.3 million women and girls worldwide could be living in extreme poverty.
At the same time, it is important to recognize another reality: women are not only a vulnerable group. They are also becoming drivers of environmental change.
According to a sociological study conducted by UNDP in Kazakhstan, almost 90 percent of women discuss environmental issues at the local and regional levels. Among men, the figure is 70.3 percent. Women over the age of 35 living in urban areas are particularly active. This demonstrates the significant potential of women as agents of environmental practices within families, communities and society as a whole.
At the same time, awareness of international climate agreements, including the Paris Agreement, remains low among both women and men. This means that climate education and public engagement require a more systematic approach.
One important international step in this direction was the adoption of the Belém Gender Action Plan at COP30 in 2025.
Another important feature of the plan is that it takes into account the diverse life experiences of citizens. Its focus now includes not only women from local communities, women farmers, migrants, women with disabilities and women living in remote regions, but also the role of men and boys as allies in advancing gender equality.
What does this mean for Kazakhstan?
The Belém Gender Action Plan provides an opportunity to integrate gender considerations more systematically into the country’s climate and environmental policies.
Some steps have already been taken. For example, Kazakhstan has appointed a national focal point on gender and climate change under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.
However, substantial work still lies ahead. Possible areas of action include:
expanding women’s participation in climate-related processes;
strengthening the link between gender and climate policies;
collecting gender-disaggregated data;
introducing gender-responsive climate budgeting;
developing analysis on vulnerability, differentiated impacts and access to resources, including financial resources.
In essence, the Belém Gender Action Plan is an international framework that outlines directions and approaches for implementing measures at the regional, national and local levels. It supports gender-responsive financing for climate projects, technology development and capacity-building, while also promoting inclusive leadership and meaningful public participation.
It also strengthens the connection between gender considerations and the six elements of the Action for Climate Empowerment programme: education, training, public awareness, public access to information, public participation and international cooperation.
The plan also expands opportunities for monitoring and voluntary reporting, including through Biennial Transparency Reports. In June 2026, during the international climate negotiations in Bonn, UNDP presented the Gender-Responsive Biennial Transparency Reports Toolkit. The toolkit will help countries report on how gender considerations are reflected in their climate policies, strategies and reports, including the ways in which multidimensional factors are addressed.
A gender-responsive approach helps reveal these differences and, as a result, makes climate policy not only more equitable, but also more effective.
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