CCAC Marks International Women’s Day 2025 with Launch of Landmark Initiative to Advance Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

Women are leading the charge for a healthier planet yet are often overlooked and underfunded despite the critical role they play in developing and implementing solutions to address the climate crisis and air pollution. Only 2.4% of climate-related development assistance prioritizes gender equality, a gap that must be closed to ensure that women, who are disproportionately affected by climate change and air pollution, have the resources, representation, and opportunities to lead in shaping sustainable solutions. Without targeted investment, the structural barriers that limit women’s participation in decision-making and access to climate finance will persist, ultimately weakening the global response to the climate crisis and air pollution. 

Driving Gender Equality in Super Pollutant Action 

The project will provide governments and civil society with the tools required to integrate gender considerations into super pollutant mitigation projects, aiming to galvanize even more funding dedicated to gender-focused climate and clean air solutions. With the goal of creating long-term investment in women-led solutions, the project will be implemented through three targeted outputs:

• Guidance and Policy Briefs: A gender and super pollutants guidance document and policy brief will be developed to empower super pollutant project funders, implementers and national governments to design equitable and gender-balanced projects. These materials will also highlight targeted interventions to advance gender equality, informed by key stakeholder interviews, and will help shape future CCAC Calls for Proposals.
• Gender Resource Library: A comprehensive set of publicly available resources to help map gender considerations across super pollutant sectors and identify gaps in existing materials. These resources will be expanded and hosted on a dedicated page of the CCAC website.
• Capacity Building and Awareness-Raising: Dedicated workshops and outreach events will promote the integration of gender considerations into super pollutant mitigation. A launch event at New York Climate Week 2025 will officially release the guidance document, and the project will also be highlighted at the CCAC Annual Meeting.

Advancing a Just Transition Through Gender-Inclusive Climate Action

At the CCAC, gender equality is a priority, with our Gender Strategy helping to ensure that climate policies support safe, stable livelihoods for women, men, and gender-diverse people, addressing key areas like health, food security, and economic development. This new partnership with Oxfam America will help to ensure that gender considerations are embedded in every step of our work.

Martina Otto, Head of the CCAC Secretariat, emphasized: “Women are at the forefront of climate impacts, but also at the forefront of action. We must recognize their role and make space for them at decision-making tables. This project is a vital step in ensuring that gender equality is not an afterthought in climate action but a central pillar of our efforts to tackle super pollutants."

Abby Maxman, CEO of Oxfam America, shared: “No matter where you are in the world, there is no justice without gender justice, and climate justice is no exception. Governments, funders, and civil society must understand the gendered impacts that communities on the frontlines of climate pollution today experience, and design policies and programs that support a more just, equitable future. We hope this project can be one step in building the tools and partnerships needed.”

This strategic partnership demonstrates the commitment of the entire CCAC partnership to fostering inclusive climate solutions. By strengthening institutional capacity, providing key resources, and promoting active engagement, this project will drive meaningful progress toward gender equality in climate and clean air action.

Building Towards Gender at the Center of Climate Action 

The CCAC has long recognized the critical role of gender in climate and clean air solutions. Already, CCAC projects are demonstrating the transformative potential of gender-responsive climate action. In the waste sector, women entrepreneurs are turning organic market waste into valuable products like organic fertilizer and animal feed, improving livelihoods while reducing methane emissions. Similarly, gender-responsive business models are helping women and men in the rice sector access carbon markets through digital MRV systems, ensuring their contributions to methane reductions are recognized and rewarded.

In 2022, the CCAC introduced gender criteria in its funding framework, ensuring that proposals included gender impact assessments and actions to address inequalities. These efforts laid the groundwork for the CCAC Gender Strategy, launched by former Swedish Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari at COP27, which has guided gender-responsive policy development across the partnership. Building on the recently achieved gender parity on our Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP), which ensures women’s minds and voices are underpinning our efforts, this Transformative Action Project will empower the CCAC to take an even bolder step to institutionalize gender equality in super pollutant action. 

As we mark International Women’s Day, the CCAC reaffirms its commitment to integrating gender considerations into climate action. Ensuring that mitigation efforts are inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the unique challenges faced by women and marginalized communities is not just an ethical imperative, but also essential for achieving long-term success in reducing super pollutants and protecting our planet.

For more information about gender mainstreaming for climate and clean air action, and the CCAC Gender Strategy, visit here.