The Belém Gender Action Plan

This year, the global UN Climate Change Conference, COP 30, in Belém, Brazil, produced a quiet but important win for gender equality. Amidst fierce pushback from countries pushing an anti-rights agenda, watered down language in the final Mutirão and lukewarm finance commitments, the Belém Gender Action Plan is a game-changer for gender transformative climate action. 

The Belém Gender Action Plan came about thanks to the advocacy of feminist activists, from Africa, Asia, Pacific & South America and the powerful Women and Gender Constituency. Negotiations led to a new nine year Gender Action Plan being adopted by 195 countries – it provides a long term, ambitious agenda on all state parties, including Australia to drive gender transformative climate action.

Image Credit: UN Climate Change

Five key things to know about the Belém Gender Action Plan (the GAP)

1. There are now obligations on countries to mainstream gender in national climate policies and plans. 
2. The GAP recognises that Indigenous identity, disability, age and other multi-dimensional factors shape people’s experiences of climate change and is fundamental to equity.
3. In recognition of the silos that gender equality and climate policies often operate in, countries are required to bring greater coherence and coordination on gender and climate at national and subnational (such as state and local government) levels. 
4. The GAP requires countries to collect better disaggregated data and highlights the importance of this to inform climate decision-making. 
5. Critically, countries are accountable for implementing the GAP domestically, with reporting and communication obligations globally. 

What does this mean for Australia? 

Australia has an obligation under the GAP to implement the GAP at a national level. 

How can it do this? As a first step, developing a National Roadmap for Gender and Climate Action is critical. 

A National Roadmap for Gender and Climate Action has the potential to be a game-changer for climate action in Australia. Accelerating workforce participation in the green economy, driving women’s leadership, resourcing First Nation’s women and women from diverse communities across Australia and the action that they’re already taking and leading. 

A National Roadmap, if shaped through meaningful consultation with women in communities, will set out a long term vision for how climate action can be equitable and inclusive, achieving justice for those at the frontlines of climate change here in Australia.

A National Roadmap will bring a strong gender lens to climate and environmental policies and break down the silos that currently exist between Australia Government’s gender equality policies (such as the Working for Women policy) and its climate and environmental policies and frameworks (such as its National Adaptation Policy or Future Made in Australia framework). 

Critically, it will also drive more equitable access to resources, so that women genuinely benefit from the billions of dollars being invested across a range of climate and environmental portfolios. 

As we know, Minister Chris Bowen will be the COP31 President of Negotiations. Australia positions itself as a leader for gender equality on the global stage. The test for it, in the coming year, will be whether it will be a leader for gender equality and climate action here in Australia.