Another important question concerns climate finance and adaptation investments. What is the proportion of women who benefit from climate-related investments? In many contexts, women do not own agricultural land and therefore have limited access to agricultural subsidies, credit schemes and production support programmes. Similarly, due to lack of assets or collateral, they often face barriers to accessing financial resources for businesses or alternative livelihoods. As a result, a larger share of climate adaptation resources goes to men, even though women bear a greater burden of climate vulnerability.
Therefore, women’s experiences, realities and priorities must be placed at the center of climate risk governance and climate-related investments. Climate planning, adaptation programs and migration policies cannot focus solely on economic and environmental considerations. They must also address deeply embedded gender inequalities, unequal power relations and the impact of inter-generational gender roles. Particular attention should be paid to women who live in climate-vulnerable areas, whose invisible labour, caregiving responsibilities, limited access to resources and limited decision-making power shape the everyday realities of adaptation.
More inclusive, equitable and gender-responsive policies are needed to build women’s capacities, strengthen their control over resources, increase their participation in decision-making, and expand their adaptive capacities. Climate justice cannot be achieved unless the experiences, voices and priorities of women who bear the greatest burden of climate vulnerability are placed at the center of policy and investment decisions.
*Masooma Billah, PhD Fellow, Utrecht University, Netherlands.