Revisiting Climate Change gender policies a decade into the Paris Agreement

The sharp rhythmic sound of a clock ticking is clearly sinking into the ears of climate change stakeholders; Belém, Brazil, is calling loudly for the November 2025 United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP30).

A few days to the 30th global climate change convening, it is evident that the past has piled up and hopes for the future are receding, decreasing optimism for the possibility of new, implementable policies. This mounting pressure and anxiety among feminists stands in contrast to the relative indifference of climate policy implementers who are not directly facing the real wrath of the climate crisis.

Maputo, Mozambique, is playing host to the Africa Feminists Climate Change COP 2025 — a precursor to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The forum aims to take stock of the hits and misses of the Paris Agreement policies a decade on, under the theme “Centring African Women’s Policy Needs 10 Years into the Paris Agreement.”

In her welcoming remarks at the Feminists’ COP in Maputo, where Kenya is well represented, Madam Luisa Mboana, President of the Women, Law and Development (MULEIDE) and host of the event, noted that gender consideration at the UNFCCC decision-making table remains a thorn in the flesh.

“We face obstacles, but with courage and unity, we overcome them. Ten years into the Paris Agreement on climate change, women are becoming more vulnerable to climate disasters. We must emphasize knowledge and women’s experiences in climate crisis solutions. A theme that unites us is gender equality — emphasizing values of equality, the fight against gender-based violence, and commitment to climate resilience,” she said.

The Maputo COP emphasises the vision of a society where African women and girls thrive in dignity and well-being, free from patriarchal and neoliberal oppression and injustices, including climate injustices.

Addressing the conference delegation, Ann Tek, the Climate Justice Coordinator at the African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), said:

“It is unfortunate that a decade into the Paris Agreement, we meet not to celebrate but to confront failed implementations. Women and children in Sub-Saharan Africa continue to experience gendered crises in climate injustices. Women rely on agriculture to sustain their families but remain without substantive support. It is sad that in global climate finance, only 2% is allocated to African women. The Feminists’ COP in Maputo seeks to reclaim that voice and power.”

It also emerged that women's rights organizations across Africa face a cruel paradox: they work closest to communities experiencing climate impacts and have developed the most contextually appropriate solutions, yet they lack meaningful representation in climate decision-making processes and do not have access to the resources they need to continue and scale their work.

At COP28, for instance, only 34% of Party delegates were women, and less than one in five Heads of Delegation (19%) was female. At COP27, women comprised only 20% of Heads of Delegation, and in some countries, men accounted for up to 90% of the delegations. This systemic exclusion reflects broader patterns of marginalization.

Voices at the COP suggested that the current climate governance system perpetuates colonial-era approaches that prioritize external solutions over African-led innovations, undermining community ownership, impact, and sustainable development.

Mr. Abel Neves, representing the African Youth Commission – Mozambique Chapter, highlighted various levels of climate vulnerability, singling out the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and children. He warned against creating a climate justice vision without inclusion.

Michael Dhantemwa, African Activists for Climate Justice (AACJ) Project Lead at OXFAM, added:

“It is unfortunate that people from the grassroots have no say in the outcomes of climate change convenings. Here in Maputo-Matola, for example, we see women pushing themselves to develop climate solutions despite a lack of resources. We must move beyond paperwork and promises and focus on how these women can access adaptation finance beyond rhetoric.”

The gathering, however, acknowledged a number of advancements since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, outlining both achievements and persistent challenges.

“To this day, we have witnessed mixed progress. For example, despite growth in renewable energy, there remains an overreliance on fossil fuels. There has been global recognition of climate justice and equity campaigns and increased climate finance, although uneven. The climate finance gap remains huge when comparing promises to actual delivery,” reiterated Dr. Mela Chiponda.

Cleopatra Phiri-Hurungo, UNDP Gender Team Lead for Africa, emphasized the need to remain true to the women at the local level whom international delegates claim to represent, urging leaders to avoid irony in representation agendas.

“Let’s not drown in titles. Instead, let us advance the agenda of African women and girls by focusing on their lived realities,” she urged.

Grace Alupo, AACJ Coordinator, emphasized: “Women, children, and indigenous groups are the most affected by shrinking financial commitments. This is an opportunity for us to push for a people-centered course that puts gender equality at the forefront.”

The 2015 Paris Agreement, a framework for climate justice, has the overarching goal of universally limiting global warming to well below 2°C — ideally 1.5°C — above pre-industrial levels. It is a binding agreement that unites UNFCCC member nations in the fight against the climate crisis and in adaptation to its effects.

The convening by various feminist groups, partners, and climate stakeholders across Africa seeks to provide a dedicated brainstorming space for insights centered on African feminist perspectives in climate justice and policy.

It aims to co-create transformative policy demands on the Gender Action Plan, attainable climate finance, and gender-just transitions, with a focus on strengthening broad-based coalitions that will influence COP30 outcomes in Brazil.