The following background paper was prepared by Bridget Burns and Amy Lee for UN-Women, UN DESA, UNFCCC Secretariat Expert Group Meeting “Implementation of gender-responsive climate action in the context of sustainable development” in Bonn, Germany from 14-16 October 2015.

This background paper focuses on gender mainstreaming across UNFCCC. The paper begins with a review of gender mainstreaming generally; followed by an exploration of gender mainstreaming in the context of UNFCCC policies and programs and a related section on what gender-responsive actions look like; then identifies gaps and opportunities; and finally concludes with recommendations for the UNFCCC.