Global: Building Gender-Responsive Climate Security: Inside CGIAR’s New Training Module Why Gender Matters in Climate Security?

Nov 12, 2025 | Ibukun Taiwo
CGIAR
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Climate change impacts are not gender-neutral and vary across population groups. Women, children, minority groups, refugees, the elderly, and people with disabilities face differential vulnerabilities linked to resilience and adaptive capacity to diverse shocks and hazards (Pradyumna et al., 2022). In regions reliant on agriculture, pastoralism, and fisheries, climate-induced shocks—such as erratic rainfall, droughts, and extreme weather—threaten food security, livelihoods, and the social fabric of communities. 

The intersection of climate impacts with conflict, fragility, and instability further undermines community resilience and adaptive capacity, heightening risks of climate-induced displacement, resource scarcity, and competition over land, water, and energy. These threats interact with power dynamics, gender roles, cultural norms, and access to resources, decision-making, and basic services (UN DPPA, 2020). 

Despite growing recognition of the need for gender-responsive and intersectional approaches, women, youth, and marginalized groups remain underrepresented in leadership and decision-making spaces. This limits the effectiveness of policies and programs that should reflect the differentiated needs and aspirations of frontline communities (UN Women, 2025). Yet, women and youth continue to demonstrate resilience and innovation, generating community-driven solutions and assuming leadership roles (UNDP, 2025).