Women leading the charge: Climate action beyond International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day has been and gone for another year, topped off with a healthy sprinkling of criticism from both ends of the spectrum. For those wanting to engage, allegations of tokenism and pinkwashing now must be expertly dodged, whilst simultaneously battling claims that the day has become redundant and unnecessary under the guise that gender equality has gone ‘far enough’. 

This year’s theme, ‘Accelerate Action’, follows last year’s ‘Inspiring Inclusion’. Yet for all the rhetoric, a crucial question remains: What exactly is the action, and are we truly aligned on the need for change?

Recent reports continue to paint a sobering picture. According to data from the World Economic Forum last year, it is predicted that it will take another 134 years to achieve full gender parity, affecting another five generations of women and children at best. Yet, many are already questioning the need for further progress, as evidenced by a 2024 UK survey which found that 47% of people felt gender equality had already ‘gone far enough’- happy with the current unequal state of play. This disconnect is happening amidst global rollbacks on diversity and inclusion efforts following Trump’s inauguration, leaving women’s rights as fragile as ever.

One of the biggest gaps for gender equality remains in political empowerment, which is only 22.5% closed globally. A striking moment that encapsulated this for me was watching Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova, head in her hands, as she oversaw the heated exchange in the Oval Office between Trump, Vance, and Zelensky last month. It was a poignant reminder of the gender disparities in political and decision-making spaces – women often relegated to the sidelines as the men battle it out on the global geopolitical stage. Unfortunately, this frustration extends beyond global politics and into environmental and climate leadership.

While climate change affects everyone, it does so unequally. Women, particularly those in marginalised communities, are disproportionately impacted by climate change due to existing inequalities. They depend more on natural resources, yet have less access to them, bearing the brunt of securing food, water, and fuel. As such, the UN estimates that by 2050, 158 million more women and girls will be pushed into poverty, making up 80% of those displaced by climate-related disasters. Yet despite their front-line experience, women’s voices are often excluded from climate decision-making.

I was lucky enough to be involved in the Women in Climate podcast, an initiative kickstarted by Katherine Garret-Cox of GIB Asset Management, which highlights the exceptional women who are already driving climate action, with the hope to inspire the next generation of female climate leaders. After witnessing the appointment of no women on to the COP29 board in Azerbaijan last year - an oversight only corrected after media scrutiny—it became clear how crucial it is to elevate women’s voices in the climate sector, emphasising the need for collaboration, both between genders and across sectors in the fight against climate change. 

2024 was the hottest year on record, and the first to officially breach the 1.5C global warming limit set by the Paris Agreement. As the climate crisis deepens, strong leadership is crucial to driving the systemic changes needed to protect our future.

 So, let’s move beyond tokenism and use International Women’s Day as a springboard for real, lasting change. Women’s leadership is essential, not just for today, but for the future of our planet. It’s not just a day—it’s a movement.