This toolkit is designed to strengthen the capacity of national government staff and assist them in integrating gender equality into the development of National Communications (NCs). It is recognized that NC reporting processes can be a meaningful entry point for training, awareness-raising and capacity-building efforts. Preparation of reports can also influence other, ongoing climate change planning and policymaking processes. As such, the toolkit can support Biennial Update Reports and planning documents such as National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and inform the development and/or implementation of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), national and sectoral Gender and Climate Change Plans, and the strategic plans of individual government agencies. This toolkit can also inform sector policies related to both social and natural resource issues.
 
The UNDP Gender Team, through the Global Gender Responsive Climate Change Programme, has played a catalytic role in shifting the paradigm on gender and climate change to address challenges related to the incorporation of gender perspectives into global climate change policies and strategies. The Global Support Programme is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and is jointly implemented by UNDP and UNEP. The primary objective of the Global Support Programme is to provide technical and policy support to Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in preparing their National Communications and Biennial Update Reports.