On the 12th of November 2024 at COP29, our WECF Advocacy and Campaigning Officer, Rebecca Heuvelmans, spoke at the press conference by the Women and Gender Constituency (WGC) about the importance of an ambitious outcome of the gender negotiations here at COP29. See her statement on behalf of the WGC below. 

“The triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution spares no-one, but disproportionately affects women and girls in all their diversity. Yet, when it comes to the climate conversation, they often remain out of the picture.

Now, I want you to picture with me the photo that circulated yesterday of the world leaders attending COP29. The image is quite a bleak one, literally and figuratively.

Statistically, 8 out of the 78 world leaders participating in COP29 are women. At COP28, only 29%* of heads of delegation were women, while overall women’s participation did not even reach 40%. This is not only unjust, but also unwise.

In a feminist future, I imagine a starkly different picture. A photo less filled by men in black suits, but rather a colorful depiction that is representative of the incredibly diverse world we live in. However, a world where women, girls and gender diverse people are fully and meaningfully included within climate decision making processes is just the start.

We envision a world where women and girls in all their diversity are finally recognized and supported as agents of change, catalysts of gender-transformative climate action and stewards of their own fate.

This is a world that is truly ready to face the climate crisis. The Enhanced Lima Work Programme on Gender and its Gender Action Plan – or GAP in short – are important vessels for ensuring that women and marginalized communities are not left out of the discussion or the solution. Within the UNFCCC, it has put gender in the picture, becoming an essential tool for driving gender-transformative climate action.

Whilst, yes, this is the COP of finance, COP29 is also the gender COP.

We are glad to see that gender is slowly but surely getting towards the center of the frame. For example, in the very first hours of COP29, the EU launched a statement which declared that they will strive for a new “Work Programme and Gender Action Plan that are ambitious and fit for purpose”. A statement that was supported by countries including Chile, Colombia, Iceland, Mexico, Norway, Tanzania and the United States. However, as we enter the second day of negotiations, we want to reinforce what we expect from Parties during the upcoming days.

Our collective demands remains the same: the delivery of an ambitious Work Programme and Gender Action Plan, which should be intersectional, inclusive, measurable, cohesive, and resourced.

Because, as the main driver of the gender agenda, the enhanced Lima Work Programme on Gender and its GAP have proven effective, as reflected by:

• An increase in appointments of National Gender and Climate Change focal points from 38 at the adoption of the GAP, to a documented 140 by February this year
• Progress in tracking participation of women in UNFCCC decision making processes
• An uptake in National Gender and Climate Change plans and Capacity building programs for women from grassroots organizations and indigenous communities

For those reasons and more, we cannot afford to lose this momentum by having a gap between the GAPs.

We need a decision here at COP on the Work Programme on Gender and a clear roadmap that outlines concrete steps towards a GAP. The decision must be ambitious, transformative, as well funded.

The good news is: we have enough time to get the shot right. We are only at the beginning of the negotiations on gender at this COP. With the second round of informal talks starting later today, we call on all Parties to rise to this critical occasion and work collaboratively to ensure that the work programme on gender is not just renewed but strengthened.

We urge parties to seize the opportunity to give gender its rightful place in the picture.

Watch Rebecca’s statement during a UNFCC webcast below

To see the full UNFCC talks, see here. 

* At COP28, 27.5% of heads and deputy heads of delegation were a woman Gender composition. Report by the secretariat | UNFCCC, during COP27 that number was 29%