To address the climate crisis, we need solutions that impact all aspects of development. In the lead up to COP29 in Azerbaijan, this blog series reflects on climate action and approaches around the region.

As the world faces the realities of climate change, one uncomfortable truth often gets overlooked: men and women experience its effects differently.

Despite the common perception that climate change is an equal-opportunity threat, the reality is far more complicated. Women, especially in vulnerable regions, bear disproportionate burdens, while men often face their own distinct challenges. Addressing these gendered impacts isn’t just about fairness—it's about ensuring that the transition to a sustainable, green economy truly benefits everyone. Let’s debunk the myths   that mask this reality and take a closer look at how gender equality is necessary for a just transition.
 

Myth 1: Climate change affects everyone equally

No, it doesn’t. Women are more vulnerable, often responsible for tasks directly impacted by environmental changes. Women in rural areas, for example, typically manage food, water, and energy for their families. When droughts, floods or resource shortages strike, their workload increases significantly, and their access to income or education is restricted further.

Women are also predominantly responsible for the home-based task that creates the most pollution: cooking. Using smokey and highly polluting fuels can have significant impacts on women's health, in addition to contributing to poor air quality. Adaptation measures that address pollution could actually have a positive effect on gender equality.

Meanwhile, men in rural areas may face job losses in climate-affected sectors like agriculture or fishing, leading to migration in search of work, which creates another set of family and community challenges.
 

Myth 2: The Just Transition will benefit everyone equally

No, the transition to a green economy will not be inherently inclusive. Unfortunately, without intentional efforts, the just transition is more likely to reinforce or even widen existing inequalities than resolve them.

Take the clean energy sector. In Europe and Central Asia, women make up a small fraction of the workforce in these emerging sectors. Green jobs—especially technical and leadership positions in clean energy, construction, and technology—are typically taken up by men.  

Women represent only about 30 percent of the STEM workforce, often participating in lower-paying administrative jobs. Women need to be trained, hired, promoted, and socially accepted in green sectors at the same rate as men.

Governments, businesses, and civil society organizations must work together to implement policies that actively promote women's participation in green sectors. This means tackling the social norms that discourage women and girls from pursuing STEM paths in the first place.  Gender equality in the economy could add US$12 trillion to the global GDP.
 

Myth 3: Displacement affects men and women the same

Displacement is one of the most severe consequences of climate change, and it does not affect men and women equally. When extreme weather events or resource shortages force people to migrate, women face higher risks of violence, exploitation, and trafficking. Men, particularly those from rural areas, may be forced to leave their families behind to find work in cities or abroad, potentially leading to new social and economic strains.

In Central Asia, for example, where water scarcity and environmental degradation are increasingly pushing people to move, women left behind in rural areas often struggle to maintain farms and homes without sufficient resources. They may take on additional roles in agriculture or caregiving without the proper support, worsening their economic and social vulnerabilities.

When men suddenly lose their roles as the main providers, especially when families must rely on emergency aid, many face depression and anxiety as they cope with the loss not only of their homes, but a key part of their identity as well. This can lead to negative coping mechanisms, which in turn increases the risk of gender-based violence for the women in their families. Women in these situations often find themselves without critical infrastructure, such as general health and maternity care, as well as support systems like safe houses that protect them from domestic violence.

For a just transition, we need gender-responsive policies that recognize the unique risks faced by displaced women and men, and that ensure both have access to resources, jobs and legal protections.
 

Myth 4: Men and women have equal access to resources for climate adaptation  

Women and men do not have equal access to resources like land, financing, and technology—essential tools for adapting to climate change. Women farmers often do not own the land they work on, making it difficult for them to access financial support for climate-resilient practices, like climate adaptation programs, subsidies, or loans that could help them transition to more sustainable farming or energy systems. Many lending institutions do not have the internal expertise to assess the types of businesses that women most often own and run, leading to a lack of willingness to invest in women-owned SMEs.

Meanwhile, men who dominate land ownership and business sectors have greater access to credit and government support, allowing them to adapt more quickly to climate changes.

We need to ensure that women have equal rights to land and resources, that gender is considered in the design of climate adaptation policies, and that women are supported as entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders in the green economy.
 

Myth 5: Gender equality will happen organically as we tackle climate change.

Gender equality in just transition is not a side effect of climate action; it requires intentional intervention to promote women’s participation in climate decision-making.    

In fact, numerous studies show that involving women in climate solutions leads to better outcomes. Women bring different perspectives, particularly in fields like clean energy, environmental conservation and community resilience, where social and environmental goals must be balanced. For example, STEMinist Makhinakhon Suleymanova heads Neksigol Navovar in Tajikistan, where 59 percent of the agricultural workers are women. Her early warning system not only delivers climate information and agriculture advisories but does so via accessible channels like mobile phones, ensuring rural women—who often have limited access to technology —receive critical updates in real time. 

Failing to include women in these conversations not only perpetuates inequality but also weakens our collective ability to fight and mitigate against climate change effectively.
 

The Path Forward: Why gender equality is essential for a Just Transition

A just transition means more than just shifting away from fossil fuels —it means creating a sustainable economy that benefits everyone equally. But this can only happen if gender equality is central to climate and economic policies. Achieving a just transition requires dismantling the structural barriers that have long held women back.

When women are empowered, given equal access to education, resources, and leadership opportunities, and infrastructure support for unpaid care work, the benefits are clear. Gender equality leads to better innovation, more sustainable solutions, and more resilient communities.

* All references to Kosovo in this document shall be understood in the context of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).