Women at the Forefront of Climate Action: Insights from the Nairobi Climate Network

Networking event on Gender x Climate

Yesterday, I attended the Nairobi Climate Network event exploring gender, climate finance, and resilience. The discussions revealed critical priorities for those of us in the climate, agriculture, and gender sectors.

Expert Voices Shaping the Conversation

Charlot Magayi (Mukuru Clean Stoves | Earthshot Prize Winner 2022) showcased how women-led enterprises create scalable climate solutions while addressing energy poverty.

Silvia Baur-Yazbec (CGAP | World Bank Group) highlighted the financial barriers women face in accessing climate finance, noting that 198 million women are expected to suffer the most severe climate impacts.

Wanjiku Wanjohi (Oxfam) delivered compelling insights on the women-climate-agriculture nexus, emphasizing the severe lack of gender-disaggregated data in Africa. Without this evidence, women's experiences remain invisible in policy and funding decisions.

Why This Matters

👑 Agricultural resilience requires women's empowerment. Women produce 60–80% of food in many developing countries but receive less than 10% of agricultural assistance

🔥 Energy transitions need women's leadership. As household energy managers, women are essential to clean energy adoption

💰 Financial systems must evolve. Current climate finance architecture undervalues women's economic activities

📋 Gender integration is crucial for effective policy. Climate policies without gender dimensions risk worsening inequalities.

Moving Forward

The path forward requires persistence, negotiation skills, and entrepreneurial courage from women in agriculture and climate. However, individual effort isn't enough.

We need a systematic change in how we:

• Collect gender-specific climate vulnerability data

• Design financial products recognizing women's unique situations

• Integrate gender analysis into all climate policy

• Value women's traditional knowledge alongside technical solutions.

  
  

I left committed to centering women in climate work—not as mere beneficiaries but as essential leaders and innovators. The climate crisis cannot be solved without addressing gender, particularly at the nexus of women, agriculture, and climate.

What steps is your organization taking better to integrate gender considerations into climate finance and resilience building?

#ClimateFinance #GenderEquality #Agriculture #ClimateResilience