Media Briefing on 11/9

 Sunday, November 9, 2025
 4:00 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
 Register here

(Please register even if you cannot attend live — all registrants will receive the recording and materials.)  

During this short session, WEDO experts will:

• Provide background on the GAP and why its renewal at COP30 matters
• Outline current negotiations and political momentum following the Bonn and Addis workshops
• Share feminist COP30 priorities
• Answer media questions ahead of Gender Justice Day and Week 1 of COP30

The outcome at COP30 is a test of whether governments will move from promises to practice on gender equality and climate justice.
 

Why This Matters

At COP30 in Belém, governments are expected to adopt a renewed Gender Action Plan (GAP) — a blueprint to turn the UNFCCC’s commitment to gender equality into practice across every pillar of climate action. This renewal comes at a time of unprecedented backlash against gender equality and human rights, where hard-won gains are being challenged in multilateral spaces. The strength of the next GAP will depend on political will and solidarity among Parties to not only safeguard existing language but to advance gender-responsive implementation that delivers measurable impact for people and the planet.

Why It’s Urgent

Despite decades of commitments, progress on gender equality in climate policy and participation remains slow, and in some areas, stalled. At COP29, only 35% of Party delegates were women, a gain of less than five percentage points since 2008.

• Violence against women environmental defenders is rising, particularly in extractive sectors like mining, agribusiness, and plantations, and is highest in the Global South.
• As the climate crisis deepens, demand for health and care work is increasing, yet these sectors remain undervalued and underpaid.
• Women make up only 20% of the global energy workforce, despite comprising nearly half the global labor force.
• National gender and climate strategies remain siloed and under-resourced, too often disconnected from the lived realities of frontline communities.

Without concrete actions, gender inequality will continue to undermine the effectiveness and justice of global climate action.
 

We Are Calling For

A coherent, action-oriented GAP could move from commitments to collective implementation.

WEDO is advocating for a GAP that will:

1. Strengthen Coherence Across Systems
2. Ensure Meaningful and Equitable Participation
3. Address Emerging Intersections
4. Enhance Coordination, Data, and Accountability
5. Align Finance with Community Needs

Parties are urged to:

• Stand firm against efforts to weaken gender equality or human rights language.
• Adopt an ambitious, measurable, and resourced GAP that reflects today’s realities.
• Reaffirm gender equality as essential to effective, inclusive climate action.
• Invest in implementation, with clear indicators, national integration, and transparent reporting.

For background, read WEDO’s media briefer: “What’s at Stake for Gender Equality at COP30.”