Women’s leadership in climate and environmental advocacy is crucial to advancing a just and green future. Around the world, women are often at the frontlines of environmental action, yet they continue to face structural barriers, including various forms of gender-based violence in online and offline spaces, preventing them from meaningful participation – undermining their voice, agency and safety.

Digital Safety as a Gateway to Participation

The digital revolution will define whether we achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It is one of the greatest drivers of change in our time, with the power to reshape economies, decision-making, and societies. Who has access and who does not, becomes an essential question amid democratic backsliding, pushback against gender equality and shrinking civil space.

UNDP places effective governance at its core, where building accountable institutions and fostering civic participation are foundational for sustainable development. Progress toward these objectives will depend on effective action to address online violence and gender inequality to ensure digital spaces are safe and inclusive for all. 

eMonitor+: Turning Evidence into Action

Central to this effort is equipping organizations to track and expose online violence against women human rights and environmental defenders, turning evidence into actions by decision-makers, so women can safely claim their place in all public arenas, with their voices, agency, and leadership driving climate and environmental decisions. 

UNDP’s flagship eMonitor+ platform plays a key role in this effort, offering real-time monitoring and analysis of online gender-based violence. By generating actionable data, eMonitor+ helps inform policy responses and strengthen institutional accountability, contributing to safer and more inclusive civic spaces.

To operationalize this approach, UNDP convened a three-day training from 8–10 September 2025 in Nairobi, bringing together governmental institutions and civil society organizations from Iraq, Indonesia, the Philippines, Kenya, and Uganda. The training focused on building participants’ capacity to use eMonitor+ to monitor and address technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) in their contexts, while also strengthening their digital advocacy skills.

“Digital safety is the foundation of meaningful participation in the modern era”, emphasized Cleopatra Phiri-Hurungo, Gender Team Leader, Regional Service Center for Africa (RSCA), UNDP, emphasized in her opening remarks. By protecting women online, we safeguard their ability to contribute fully to discussions on climate justice and environmental governance. The eMonitor+ training equips women with the confidence and resources to challenge barriers, build alliances, and shape the policies and partnerships that will define a greener, fairer future for generations to come.”

Over the course of three thematic days of the training, participants engaged in a progressive learning journey. 

• The first day, Foundations, introduced the basics of social media analysis, with a focus on the challenges of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech. Discussions grounded participants in the realities faced by women environmental defenders navigating hostile online spaces. UNFPA also contributed to the discussions by sharing their expertise and experience in addressing gender-based violence, enriching the dialogue with practical insights from their broader portfolio of work.

• The second day, Tools and Techniques, shifted focus to the practical application of digital analysis. Sessions covered methodologies for assessing digital content, approaches for working with AI-generated materials, and safety measures for analysts conducting sensitive research.
• The final day, Practice and Reporting, was dedicated to hands-on exercises using eMonitor+, UNDP’s digital monitoring platform. Participants learned to generate insights, produce reports, and connect digital evidence with advocacy strategies. The training concluded with a session on communications and knowledge sharing, followed by the awarding of certificates.

By the end of the training, participants reported strengthened capacity to apply eMonitor+ in detecting and responding to TFGBV. They also left better equipped to foster safe and inclusive digital environments for women leaders and activists.  The training also served as a platform for building strategic alliances and networks among women’s civil society organizations, reinforcing collective action for gender equality and environmental justice. 

Strategic Partnership and Support

The training formed part of a broader initiative under UNDP’s Gender Equality Global Programme and the Funding Windows’ Governance flagship, “Strengthening women’s civil society and environmental influence for a just, green future (defenders initiative).” By promoting inclusive models of engagement, the initiative seeks to amplify women’s voices, agency, and leadership in climate and environmental decision-making.

“eMonitor+ provides a valuable opportunity to advance safe and secure digital environments by deepening understanding of the nature, prevalence, and manifestations of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) against women environmental human rights defenders”, noted Osama Aljaber, Global Digital Democracy Specialist, UNDP, who served as a facilitator and eMonitor+ champion.” This evidence-based approach enables the development of targeted advocacy strategies that safeguard inclusive online spaces.” 

Looking Ahead: Women’s Leadership 

These efforts reflect UNDP’s integrated approach to advancing gender equality and environmental sustainability. By bridging the gap between digital safety and climate advocacy, UNDP is supporting women’s civil society organizations play a transformative role in shaping national, regional, and global policies.

This support has allowed UNDP to begin addressing pressing gender equality governance challenges, peacebuilding and crisis response, resilience, and nature, climate and energy priorities. While the training is one component, it contributes to broader efforts such as the Defenders’ Initiative, aimed at enhancing civic engagement and strengthening institutions that uphold peace and cohesion, ensuring that no one is left behind. 

The workshop further reinforced UNDP’s commitment to working in partnership with women’s civil society organizations and other non-state actors emphasizing shared leadership in advancing gender equality and sustainable development. By protecting women’s digital rights and strengthening their leadership in civil society, the initiative demonstrates the deep interconnection between digital rights, gender equality, and climate action, showing that inclusive leadership is essential for a just, green future.

The training in Nairobi was made possible through strong collaboration between UNDP Global HQ, the UNDP Addis Ababa Regional Hub, participating country offices, and Women Environmental Defenders from Kenya, Uganda, Iraq, Indonesia and the Philippines. UNDP also acknowledged the vital support of development partners, particularly the Governments of Denmark, Luxembourg, and Korea, whose contributions through the UNDP Funding Window enabled the Organization to accelerate sustainable development progress across 170 countries and territories.

About the Author

Sheila Kimani is a strategic Partnerships and Digital Associate at UNDP Kenya