Bangladesh spotlighted the central role of women in climate resilience at the UN Climate Summit COP30, presenting a community-driven model that links gender equality with climate adaptation.
At a high-level event titled “Gender and Climate Change Nexus: Learning from Bangladesh,” held at the Bangladesh Pavilion and hosted by Pathfinder International, officials and experts emphasized how women are leading local adaptation efforts across vulnerable regions.
Fisheries and Livestock Affairs Adviser Farida Akhter said rural women were not only supporting family nutrition but becoming financially independent through climate-adaptive livelihoods. “Women are becoming self-reliant by rearing ducks, poultry, livestock and goats,” she said. “They ensure nutrition for families and communities through eggs, milk and meat.”
Akhter praised the Women-Led Climate Resilience (WLCR) project for positioning marginalized women as active solution-makers. She called for stronger coordination across ministries and more engagement from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs in COP processes.
Officials said scaling such gender-responsive models was essential. A.K.M. Sohel, Additional Secretary of the Economic Relations Division, said women’s inclusion was critical to effective climate finance. “Empowering women is not just a moral obligation; it is the smartest strategy we have for building a resilient future,” he said, urging that women’s health concerns be integrated into the National Adaptation Plan.
The Ministry of Environment noted that gender priorities have been incorporated into Bangladesh’s National Adaptation Plan, the Climate Change Gender Action Plan and the updated NDC 3.0. Joint Secretary Dharitri Kumar Sarkar said these frameworks address health, food security, nutrition, gender equality, disability and social inclusion.
Youth voices also pushed for broader recognition of gender rights. Sohanur Rahman, a COP30 youth delegate and Executive Coordinator of YouthNet Global, emphasised the importance of sexual and reproductive health in climate justice efforts. “Women must be agents of change, not just recipients of climate programmes,” he said. “Engaging men and boys is equally critical to support gender-transformative climate action.”
Funded by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the WLCR initiative operates in wetland and coastal regions and has directly supported more than 23,000 women. Pathfinder’s Bangladesh Country Director, Md Mahbub ul Alam, said climate change disproportionately affects women and girls. “Climate change is not gender-neutral,” he said. “When we empower women with knowledge, resources and a platform to lead, they become powerful drivers of resilience.”
The project blends health services, climate-adaptive livelihoods and leadership training. Evaluations show women increasingly leading disaster preparedness efforts, with 44 percent of community “Climate Champions” now female. Women reported greater mobility, decision-making power and control over finances, while communities adopted early warning systems and climate-resilient farming practices.
Livelihood gains have also translated into nutrition improvements, as income from livestock, poultry and goat rearing increases access to eggs, milk and meat.
The COP30 event underscored Bangladesh’s growing recognition as a global example of integrating women’s leadership into climate policy—demonstrating, officials said, that empowering women remains one of the most effective ways to build resilient communities.
