In a significant move, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Government of Brazil have issued a powerful Call to Action, urging nations worldwide to prioritize gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in their climate strategies. This initiative was unveiled during the closing session of the 2025 Global Symposium on Climate Justice and Impacted Populations held in Brasília.
As countries gear up for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the high-level symposium aimed to invigorate rights-based and gender-responsive climate action at a crucial time, as national climate plans undergo revision and funding priorities are reassessed. The Call to Action provides a framework for integrating gender equality and SRHR into climate responses, emphasizing the urgent need to combat gender-based violence (GBV).
Key demands outlined in the Call to Action include:
- Increased climate finance for women and girls, particularly in crisis-affected areas.
- Enhanced support for local and national entities to incorporate SRHR and GBV protection into climate policies.
- Greater investment in data to guide gender-responsive climate initiatives.
- Improved emergency preparedness and health systems capable of withstanding climate-related shocks.
- Inclusion of SRHR and GBV protection in the COP30 Gender Action Plan.
The adverse impacts of climate change are disproportionately borne by women and girls, who are facing escalating rates of GBV and deteriorating maternal health outcomes, alongside barriers to essential health services. Yet, most national climate policies fail to address these issues. A scant portion of global climate finance is allocated to advance gender equality, and reliable data regarding the specific impacts on women and girls is lacking.
“We are at a pivotal moment in our march against climate change — one that must unite us all,” stated Diene Keita, UNFPA Acting Executive Director. “Let us leverage this moment to forge a path forward that ensures climate justice and strengthens the resilience of women and young people in the face of climate change.”
The three-day hybrid event attracted over 150 participants, including policymakers, researchers, and advocates from around the globe. This gathering built upon UNFPA’s earlier efforts with the International Symposium on SRHR, Gender and Climate Change Resilience held in Pretoria in 2019, where the Future Africa Call to Action was introduced.
During the symposium, Janja Lula da Silva, First Lady of Brazil and Special Envoy for Women at COP30, emphasized the critical relationship between gender equality and climate justice. “There can be no climate justice without gender equality. And no climate justice without the full participation of women,” she asserted.
As the UN’s leading agency on sexual and reproductive health, UNFPA is committed to embedding a rights-based perspective in climate action, focusing on gender equality and the experiences of diverse women and girls. Through its expertise in humanitarian response and health services, UNFPA is poised to help countries navigate the challenges presented by climate change while ensuring that essential care and support remain available during crises.
