Launching an Australia-first strategy for gender-responsive climate action

The UN COP30 Belém Gender Action Plan (GAP) encourages countries to mainstream gender into their climate action, improve gender-disaggregated data collection, and boost investment at the gender-climate nexus – recognising that climate change is a “threat multiplier” for gender inequality, and gender inequalities are part of the systems reproducing climate changes. The Australian Government recognises this critical overlap, with Australia’s foreign policy leading at the gender-climate nexus. However domestically, despite Australia’s National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA) and National Gender Equality Strategy (W4W - Working for Women Strategy) identifying gender as critical to climate policy, domestic research and action lags – with Parliament identifying a need for evidence-based policy options. Ahead of COP31 in November 2026, the Global Institute for Women's Leadership (GIWL) alongside the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (WYUT) Institute for First Nations Gender Justice respond to this call and are launching Towards a Gender-responsive Climate Strategy for Australia: Policy Options and Pathways - an Australia-first evidence-based and community-informed gender-climate strategy and 101 policy options for action. Drawing off expert workshop/focus groups, a systematic literature review, a representative survey of 1032 Australians and consultation with key stakeholders, this strategy seeks to support Australia to fulfill its international commitments and generate a truly just climate transition. Join us for the strategy launch, beginning with refreshments and canapés on arrival, followed by a Q&A discussion, hearing from experts including international human rights lawyer Prof Susan Harris Rimmer, deputy director of GIWL Dr Elise Stephenson, project coordinator of WYUT Terri Reid, climate scientist and youth/gender advocate Tegan Clark, gender equality, disability equity, social inclusion (GEDSI) and climate adaptation specialist Dr Betty Barkha, and more. We'll discuss policy options and much more when it comes to the overlap between feminist and First Nations approaches to climate justice, and end with decisive next steps to help guarantee a just future for Australia.