By Christelle Wealth-Mukendi
“We cannot keep talking about ‘women are behind.’ We are not behind – we were not meaningfully included.” are the words spoken by Tadfadzwa Kurotwi, co-founder of Emerald Climate Hub and a women’s climate change activist for SHE Changes Climate in the Global South. The intersection between climate change and gender is one that often goes ignored, but the detrimental impact that it has had on women, particularly in the Global South, has been devastating.
Environmental changes have forced countless women to leave their homes, as worsening conditions make it nearly impossible to sustain their livelihoods. Yet, many of these women are turning their hardship into action—raising awareness about the gendered impact of climate change through protests, advocacy, and successful grassroots initiatives.
From Data to Reality: What the Numbers Reveal
It is estimated that roughly 4 in 5 people who are displaced by climate change are women and girls. Compared to men, 47.8 million women suffer from food insecurity. With the statistics working unfavourably towards women, this puts them in a difficult situation; to stay and suffer or migrate in search of better living conditions. For generations, patriarchal systems have denied women the right to financial independence or land ownership. In the Global South, only a small percentage of women legally own land—a right that has been increasingly sidelined. Organisations like Oxfam are calling for land rights to be brought back to the forefront, highlighting the work of groups such as ECIMA South, which fights to eliminate all forms of discrimination against indigenous women and defends their right to land and safety.
The consequences of this systemic neglect are becoming harder to ignore. According to the UN’s Spotlight Initiative, femicide increases by 28 per cent during heatwaves. Meanwhile, the 2024 UN Gender Snapshot warns that the number of women living in poverty could rise to 158 million by 2050—16 million more than men. Nearly half of them will be in Sub-Saharan Africa. These figures are a stark reminder of how environmental shifts magnify gender inequality. Many are now speaking out to ensure that the voices of women most affected by climate change—especially those who cannot advocate for themselves—are not left behind. One organisation leading this charge is SHE Changes Climate.
SHE Changes Climate: A Global Push for Representation
As of 2024, the international group has expanded its network to countries such as India, Brazil, and Kenya, working to implement innovative, gender-responsive climate solutions. They held consultations in these countries and many other nations to promote climate policies that would help women. They have consistently raised concerns over the underrepresentation of women in major environmental forums, including COP29. Their public statement highlighting the absence of women on last year’s COP29 Organising Committee sparked widespread attention and ultimately led to the inclusion of women in the committee. Their work has successfully allowed women to speak up on a global scale and offer solutions to the environmental issues that have impacted them in the Global South by creating platforms for women to be seen and heard.
I spoke with Wangui Mwangi, the Kenyan Network Lead at She Changes Climate who works on strategy development, connecting stakeholders, driving country specific priorities and advocating for women’s voices in important places. Wangui said “Climate is currently not necessarily a buzzword but something we can’t hide from now.” Wangui joined She Changes Climate because of their push for mandatory gender representation – this is a topic that a lot of people tend to shy away from. Wangui said that people at a high level tend to speak for people who are adversely affected – what she and She Changes Climate does is “to find ways to bring people up to speed in a language that they understand so they don’t make decisions for them, but with them.”
In the COP29 meeting in November of 2024, only 8 of the 78 heads of state were women. This statistic demonstrates how deep-rooted the problem of women and climate change is – if women only make up a small minority of heads of state, how is an environmental crisis which one sex bears the worst of effect meant to receive equal access to resources to survive when there are not enough voices to speak up for them?
Wangui mentioned multiple approaches that she is actively working on. One is pushing for mandatory gender representation in climate negotiations. Wangui said they are pushing for one third of women in the Kenyan Parliament and this evoked a lot of emotions in response – people realised the importance of empowering women in these places. Another is campaigning for gender advisors, especially those from vulnerable and developing countries. Climate finance such as pressuring multilateral banks to prioritise gender with their progress being tracked and also connecting women leaders across civil society in regards to business and politics is another approach. Using the media and storytelling as it has the power to shift public perception and highlight the importance of women’s leadership in sustainability. Inferencing national climate policy so making sure countries embed gender responsive approaches. Wangui said it has been working in Kenya and other progressive nations. Elevating young and upcoming indigenous women because “even as we continue to grow, it’s always good to have people who would understand that climate space. It would prioritise intergenerational and intersectional inclusion.”
Tafadzwa Kurotwi experienced the devastating effects of an El Niño-induced drought in Zimbabwe at a young age—an event that shaped her commitment to climate action. Now an ambassador for She Changes Climate alongside Wangui, Tafadzwa’s impact extends further through her work with the Emerald Climate Hub, an initiative dedicated to empowering young people to lead and engage in regional and global climate dialogue.
When asked about the few women leaders in the discussion making process Tafadzwa said that “Emerald Climate Hub tends to support women who are in the rural communities with initiatives but not limiting them inside their box, but bringing their initiatives on a global level to empower other women.” Tadfadzwa and the Hub want women leadership in policy discussions in regards to adaptation, mitigation and finance.
Talking about Emerald Climate Hub’s efforts to advance gender equity, Tafadzwa highlighted a recently launched biogas initiative aimed at training and empowering women to transition from harmful cooking methods to clean energy solutions using biogas and local waste materials. Another programme encourages women to give back by planting and maintaining trees within their communities. While funding remains a challenge, Tafadzwa noted that despite limited resources, the organisation is steadily progressing, building capacity to sustain its initiatives over time.
Why Representation Matters: The Cost of Being Left Out
The tireless efforts of women around the world to raise awareness are driving meaningful change. Yet, the climate crisis continues to disproportionately affect women in the Global South—a reality rooted in the lack of representation among key decision-makers. Until more women are in positions of power to shape policy, access to vital resources will remain unequal, especially in the face of worsening climate conditions.
What You Can Do: Amplifying Women’s Voices in the Climate Fight
You can help shift that balance. Use your voice to amplify theirs—whether by sharing stories and information on social media, signing petitions, donating to grassroots initiatives, or joining protests. Every action counts in building a more just and climate-resilient future.
