When climate disaster strikes, women are often the first to lose livelihoods, the last to be consulted, and the ones tasked with holding households and communities together. And more often than not, they are also the ones locked out of the decisions and dollars that shape climate solutions.
While we have long understood climate change disproportionately impacts women and girls, a crucial piece of the conversation has been overlooked: if women bear the brunt of climate risk, they also hold the key to climate action.
So why is climate finance still missing them?
The Gender Gap in Climate Finance Is Real. And Costly.
Despite growing awareness of climate impacts, intentional gender perspectives are still marginalised within global climate finance. In recent years, a mere 0.04% of climate-related official development assistance has had gender equity as a principal objective. In the rapidly growing renewable energy sector, just 7% of startup founders are women. In agriculture, where women farmers make up over 40% of the workforce and are on the front lines of climate change, they receive only one-tenth of the total aid flowing to the sector.
This isn’t just unjust, it is inefficient. When we fail to reach or invest in women, we miss out on high-impact solutions, reduce the relevance and effectiveness of projects, and limit the return on climate investments. Studies show that gender-diverse investing teams achieve 20% higher net IRRs in emerging markets. Closing the resource gap for women farmers could significantly boost global agricultural output and lift over 100 million people out of hunger. The economic and climate payoff of inclusion is clear – we just need to act on it.
The good news? Integrating gender doesn’t have to be complex or performative. It just needs to be intentional from the start.
A Practical Approach to Gender Integration
At the Catalytic Climate Finance Facility (CC Facility), we support climate finance vehicles – including funds, facilities, and other blended finance structures – with practical, tailored technical assistance to integrate gender into their operations and investment activities. Our core support spans four building blocks:
- Gender Analysis – Mapping gendered barriers, risks, and opportunities across an instrument’s sector and geography.
- Gender Strategy – Defining strategic gender equity objectives and guiding principles aligned with the vehicle’s overarching mission.
- Gender Action Plan (GAP) – Outlining time-bound activities, indicators, and responsibilities to operationalise the instrument’s commitment to gender equity.
- Gender Monitoring & Evaluation – Establishing metrics to track and monitor gender-related efforts over time.
Based on a vehicle’s impact goals, we also offer additional support options such as gender-responsive investment screening tools, capacity-building workshops, and communication materials that showcase gender ambition for fundraising and stakeholder engagement.
To date, we have worked with financial vehicles across sectors – including energy, agriculture, the blue economy, and financial services – and in countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and South Asia. We have seen firsthand that even vehicles with limited capacity can take meaningful action to advance gender equity.
What We Have Learned Along the Way
- Tailor the case for gender.
Not every team will buy into gender for the same reasons. Some care about impact, while others view it through a compliance lens. Your gender pitch should align with what resonates – whether that’s expanding market reach, mitigating risk, or meeting funder expectations. - Start small, start smart.
A concise, three-point action plan with sector-specific, achievable activities often has more impact than a lengthy plan that is overly idealistic or unrealistic. Prioritise what is most relevant, material, and within the instrument’s control. - Invest in implementation.
Deliverables like a Gender Action Plan are only the start. Real change happens when there’s follow-through, with support to troubleshoot, iterate, and build internal champions. - Unlock ambition with holistic support.
Many climate vehicles are eager to do more on gender, but lack the resources, bandwidth, and expertise to get there alone. Pairing technical assistance with financial support enables meaningful progress on gender and builds capacity where it’s most needed.
The Road Ahead
As the climate finance community seeks to deploy capital more effectively and equitably, gender must be at the center of the conversation. Advancing gender equality isn’t just a moral imperative, but foundational to building effective solutions that actually reach and serve those most at risk from the climate crisis.
We are excited to continue partnering with climate finance solutions ready to lead on gender.
Explore our full gender playbook here or reach out at [email protected] to collaborate with us.