Women and Girls at the Intersection of Climate Change and Economic Empowerment

The impacts of climate change are far from uniform. Women and girls experience climate change and its effects differently than men and boys.4 Women’s experiences related to climate change further intersect with geography, race, political context, socioeconomic status, access to opportunity, and right to own assets or capital.5

In this brief, we unpack existing knowledge about the interlinkages between climate change and women’s economic opportunities and gender- based violence (GBV), outline relevant initiatives, and present recommendations and guidance for programs and policies.

We draw on global evidence and from examples presented by the Women’s Economic Empowerment Community of Practice (WEE CoP) in Kenya. The WEE CoP, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, connects 72 partners (as of publication date), coordinates learning, amplifies findings, builds capacity, and enhances collaboration between key stakeholders to share evidence and best practices related to women’s economic empowerment in Kenya and the wider region. The community’s primary goal is to strengthen the effectiveness and longevity of research and advocacy in Kenya to increase women’s access to opportunity and the means to build sustainable livelihoods.