It’s been 30 years since the world’s governments came together in Beijing to adopt a bold and visionary agenda for women’s rights—the Beijing Platform for Action.
In the decades since, significant strides have been made: more girls are in school, maternal mortality rates have dropped, discriminatory laws have been challenged, and women’s representation in decision-making has increased.
But today, after three decades of progress, we face a harsh reality: much of that hard-won progress is being rapidly undone. We’ve all witnessed how escalating conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan and DRC, and other global crises are disproportionately affecting women and girls, reversing many of the gains we have fought so hard to achieve.
What we don’t hear enough about is how the climate crisis is stalling progress for women.
Right now, one in four women around the world face food insecurity, with extreme weather and disasters like droughts exacerbating the situation. Women are also more likely than men to die or be displaced during a climate disaster, and in the aftermath, many of the world’s women are left without the financial resources to rebuild their homes and livelihoods.
The climate crisis is escalating violence against women and girls. As climate disasters worsen, women are experiencing loss of income due to their concentration in insecure, low-paying jobs—many of which are directly impacted by climate change.
The outlook for the coming years is dire. In 2024, global temperatures surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels— sustained temperatures at this level represent a tipping point where extreme droughts, wildfires, flooding, and cyclones are set to cause irreversible damage. The world’s most vulnerable – including women and girls – will bear the brunt of this devastation.
This situation is exacerbated by the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement—an accord that was supposed to represent a global commitment by governments to urgent climate action. As the climate crisis deepens, wealthy nations have begun siphoning off foreign aid budgets to fund increased defence spending, leaving frontline communities with even less support to cope with the ongoing climate catastrophe.
But in the face of this bleak reality, there is hope.
Crises can catalyse change. Around the globe, women on the frontlines of the climate crisis are rising up. In Vanuatu, women have harnessed indigenous knowledge and climate-resilient farming techniques to build “resilience gardens” that not only feed their families but also provide fresh produce to those impacted by disasters like cyclones and floods.
Women have also developed an early warning system to alert their communities to impending disasters, reducing economic losses and saving lives. Perhaps most inspiring is that women’s leadership in these efforts is transforming women’s status in society. For the first time in centuries, a woman has been invited to join the Council of Chiefs on the island of Erromango—a powerful testament to the recognition of women’s invaluable role in crisis response.
The climate crisis and gender inequality are inseparable.
As we look to the next decade, we must commit to amplifying women’s leadership on the frontlines of climate action. To prepare for the 1.5-degree world that is closing in on us, we must scale up resources to support frontline communities and ensure that women and gender-diverse people are at the decision-making tables. Their needs must be prioritised, and their voices heard.
At ActionAid, we believe that nothing ever changes without action. The future we long for will not be handed to us; we must fight for it.
That’s why we are building a movement of Australians committed to creating a just, equitable, and sustainable world where women can thrive. A world that stands firmly in solidarity with women on the frontlines of crisis — working together to rebuild a better future for all.
As one of the world’s leading polluters per capita, Australia has a moral obligation to support countries that have contributed the least to climate change but are suffering its worst impacts with fewer resources to cope. The time to act is now.
The opportunity is in our hands. Let’s seize this moment and build a feminist future —one that is intersectional, intergenerational, and inclusive. A future that stands in solidarity with the most marginalised women and gender-diverse people around the world, ensuring that no one is left behind in the fight for a better, more just world.