Climate change is a global crisis that disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, including women, youth, indigenous peoples and local communities, people with disabilities, and the elderly. In Africa, where climate change intensifies socio-economic disparities and systemic inequalities, gender-responsive climate action is critical to effectively address climate vulnerabilities.
Gender, Equity and Social Inclusion
Gender, Equity, and Social Inclusion (GESI) are central pillars of the African Group of Negotiators Expert Support (AGNES). Aligned with the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan (GAP), AGNES is committed to fostering a transformative approach that enhances adaptive capacities and promotes equity and social inclusion. Through its GESI workstream, AGNES advances GESI principles across the science-policy-practice nexus, enabling climate actions that are equitable, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of all.
AGNES’s GESI initiatives include supporting gender negotiations, supporting countries in conducting gender-responsive vulnerability assessments, building capacity through the climate leadership programs, training women negotiators and empowering women and youth leadership in climate action. These efforts not only strengthen Africa’s position in global climate discourse but also drive transformative action across the continent and beyond.
By integrating GESI into climate policies and practices, AGNES continues to be a beacon of excellence in gender transformative approaches, paving the way for a more just and sustainable future for Africa and beyond. Below are the key components of AGNES’s GESI portfolio:
3.1 Support to Gender Negotiations Workstream
AGNES plays a pivotal role in shaping Africa’s common position on gender within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes. Through its annual pre-session meetings (Pre-SBs and Pre-COP), AGNES convenes gender negotiators, Gender National Focal Points, and gender experts to draft and refine Africa’s gender-responsive climate negotiation strategies. These positions are shared with the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) for adoption, ensuring that gender considerations are prioritized in global climate discussions. AGNES has also fostered a robust Gender Community of Practice (CoP), bringing together governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, and academia to champion gender mainstreaming within the UNFCCC and beyond.
3.2 Gender and Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments
AGNES’s flagship Gender and Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments provide critical, context-specific data to inform evidence-based climate policies. By conducting detailed gender and climate change vulnerability hotspot mapping, AGNES generates sex-disaggregated data that highlights the disproportionate impacts of climate change on women and marginalized groups. These studies have been successfully conducted in Rwanda, Kenya, Botswana and Uganda, with ongoing work in Ghana and Ethiopia. The outcome of this initiative supports governments to design inclusive climate policies and targeted interventions that address the unique vulnerabilities of different demographics.
3.3 AGNES Climate Leadership Programme
AGNES’s Climate Governance, Diplomacy, and Negotiations Leadership Program, launched in 2020, has trained over 1,375 experts across all 54 African countries. The program includes a dedicated module on Gender and Climate Change, equipping participants with the knowledge and skills to integrate gender perspectives into climate governance. AGNES is currently developing an advanced module on Gender Transformation, further strengthening its capacity-building efforts to promote gender-responsive climate action.
3.4 Training of Women and Gender Climate Change Negotiators in Africa
In collaboration with the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centres (RCCs) and supported by the African Development Bank’s Africa Climate Change Fund (ACCF), AGNES is training women and gender negotiators across Africa. This program equips participants with essential skills in climate diplomacy, negotiation techniques, and leadership, while also exposing them to key UNFCCC workstreams through a gender and intersectional lens. The training emphasizes the evolution of gender considerations in the UNFCCC process, including the Lima Work Programme on Gender, and fosters regional priorities that align with gender-transformative approaches.
3.5 Empowering Women and youth Leadership in Climate Action Program
In Partnership with the African Development Bank, AGNES designed this program to build a critical mass of women and youth climate leaders and aimed at fostering inclusive and equitable climate governance. The program seeks to enhance participation and leadership by identifying and supporting women and youth leaders from governments, civil society, academia, and the private sector, facilitating their meaningful engagement in major climate events while strengthening their leadership capacity and skills.
It also focuses on building collaborative networks among women and youth leaders in the climate change sector to promote knowledge sharing and collective action. Through peer-to-peer learning and mentorship initiatives, the program aims to improve leadership skills and confidence, empowering participants to take on active roles in climate decision-making processes. It amplifies their voices and increase their visibility by facilitating their participation in key panels and high-level forums, ensuring their perspectives shape climate policies.