[A version of this story was original published by SSN here] 
 

Climate action is only effective when it reflects the realities of the people it is intended to serve. Yet climate change does not affect everyone equally. Existing inequalities – shaped by gender, age, disability, income, ethnicity, health status and other intersecting factors – influence who is most exposed to climate risks, who has access to resources, and who is able to recover from climate shocks.

These differences matter because treating everyone the same does not automatically produce fair outcomes. Achieving equality requires recognising that people face different barriers and opportunities to effectively adapt to climate change. An equitable approach responds to these differences so that everyone has a fair opportunity to participate in, influence, and benefit from climate action. Equity is therefore an essential pathway towards equality, making gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) central to effective climate action.

This understanding has shaped CDKN’s work across Africa, Asia and Latin America. By working with governments, practitioners and communities, CDKN supports climate policies and investments that are more inclusive, locally led and responsive to diverse experiences. This includes strengthening actors and institutions, developing practical tools, creating opportunities for peer learning and supporting those working to embed GESI in climate decision-making.

One group playing a particularly important role is the National Gender and Climate Change Focal Points (NGCCFPs) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

GESI advocacy on the international stage

NGCCFPs sit at the intersection of climate policy and gender equality. They work across ministries, contribute to international negotiations, advise governments, and help integrate gender considerations into national climate planning and reporting. Their role is both technical and political.

Across more than 125 countries, however, the position looks very different depending on national contexts. Some focal points coordinate policy, while others engage directly in negotiations or climate finance processes. Many work with limited mandates, constrained resources, and competing institutional priorities.

Technical knowledge alone is rarely enough.

Advancing GESI often requires navigating resistance, building alliances, communicating evidence in ways that resonate with different audiences, and creating opportunities for collaboration. These are advocacy skills as much as technical ones. 

Recognising this need, the Belém Gender Action Plan (2026–2034), adopted under UNFCCC, calls for stronger capacity-building, peer learning and practical support for NGCCFPs. 

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Learning together at SB64

Against this backdrop, CDKN supported a mandated two-day workshop for National Gender and Climate Change Focal Points during the sixty-fourth sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SB64) in Bonn.

The workshop, led by the UNFCCC gender team, brought together focal points from Africa, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Europe to exchange experiences, strengthen professional networks and explore practical approaches to advancing gender-responsive climate action.

Rather than focusing only on technical guidance, CDKN designed an interactive skills lab that explored a question many practitioners face every day: How do you advocate for GESI when decision-makers are unconvinced?

To explore this challenge, participants took part in a Forum Theatre exercise based on Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed.

The scenario was familiar to many in the room. A national gender and climate change focal point presented the case for integrating GESI into a climate investment programme while facing different forms of scepticism from colleagues. Each sceptic represented a common objection: concerns about efficiency, questions about evidence, resistance based on national sovereignty or assumptions that climate change affects everyone in the same way.

Participants could stop the performance, step into the scene, and test different responses. Rather than searching for a single correct answer, the exercise created space to explore different advocacy strategies and learn from one another’s experiences.

Several themes emerged.

• The first was that evidence alone is rarely persuasive. Participants found that beginning with lived experience or practical examples often created stronger connections before introducing data.
• Second, different audiences respond to different messages. Arguments that resonate with finance officials may not persuade colleagues focused on governance or social policy. Effective advocacy means understanding what matters to different stakeholders and framing evidence accordingly.
• Third, local ownership matters. When GESI is presented as an external requirement driven by international partners, resistance can grow. Participants explored ways to connect GESI with national priorities, constitutional commitments and locally grounded examples, reframing inclusion as part of a country’s own development ambitions rather than a donor agenda.
• Finally, successful advocacy begins long before formal meetings. Building relationships, identifying allies and establishing trust often determine whether ideas gain traction once discussions begin.

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A broader lesson for climate action

The skills lab reinforced something CDKN has seen across our wider portfolio. Embedding GESI in climate policy is not simply a technical exercise. It is a process of institutional change that depends on relationships, communication, and trust as much as evidence and guidance.

This is especially important because achieving gender equality requires more than ensuring everyone receives the same opportunities. It requires recognising where structural and social inequalities continue to shape participation, access to resources and decision-making, and taking deliberate steps to address them. Equity helps create the conditions in which equality becomes possible.

For climate practitioners, this means designing processes that value different forms of knowledge, create meaningful opportunities for participation and ensure that those most affected by climate change are able to influence the decisions that shape their futures. And as countries begin implementing the Belém Gender Action Plan (2026-2034), demand will continue to grow for practical approaches that help practitioners translate commitments into action.

CDKN will continue working with governments and partners to strengthen the knowledge, relationships and leadership needed to embed gender equality and social inclusion across climate policy and practice. This includes supporting peer learning, developing practical guidance, sharing evidence from across regions, and creating spaces where practitioners can test ideas, learn from one another, and strengthen their capacity to lead change.