UN Women workshop calls for scaling up women-led climate action

At a national workshop in Dhaka on 28 June, speakers emphasised that women's leadership should be central to Bangladesh's climate strategy, with local innovations shaping national policy.

UN Women Bangladesh organised the "EmPower II: National Lessons Learned and Scale-Up Workshop" at Aloki in Dhaka, bringing together government officials, development partners, civil society organisations, women climate champions, financial institutions, academics, and United Nations agencies.

Supported by the governments of Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and New Zealand, the workshop was part of EmPower: Women for Climate-Resilient Societies Phase II.

EmPower is a regional initiative in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam, implemented by UN Women and the United Nations Environment Programme. It promotes women's leadership in climate resilience, renewable energy, access to finance and locally led adaptation.

In Bangladesh, the project operates in five climate-vulnerable districts — Khulna, Satkhira, Jamalpur, Kurigram and Cox's Bazar — covering 10 upazilas.

The programme has reached 33,284 women with climate-resilient livelihoods and essential services, impacting around 16 lakh people.

It has also helped mobilise $3 million to support 308 women-led renewable energy enterprises and assisted the Government of Bangladesh in translating the Climate Change Gender Action Plan into costed and measurable sectoral interventions.

Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Professor Dr Abu Zafar Md Zahid Hossain inaugurated the workshop as the chief guest.

He emphasised the need to translate community-level learning into stronger national policy, planning and investment.

"When education, skills and confidence come together, women can speak clearly, make decisions and lead change in their communities. We must give women the knowledge to adapt to climate change, because those who are equipped with skills and confidence will be able to survive and lead," he said.

Highlighting the results of EmPower Phase II, Gitanjali Singh, Representative of UN Women Bangladesh, said the data reflect stronger livelihoods, cleaner energy, greater confidence and a stronger voice in shaping climate solutions for women.

"This is the evidence Bangladesh can carry to global fora. It tells a simple and powerful story: climate commitments matter most when they touch the lives of women and girls—when they are financed, localised, measurable and led by the women most affected by climate change," she said.

She added that gender-responsive climate action is practical, scalable and a smart investment.

The workshop highlighted women's leadership in local adaptation, renewable energy, climate-resilient livelihoods and collective action. Women climate champions from the five districts shared their experiences during a panel discussion.

Farida Yasmin from Nari Associate for Revival and Initiative in Kurigram said EmPower had helped women gain knowledge, information and confidence to negotiate on issues affecting their lives.

"EmPower has been a journey of collective leadership and resilience, enabling women in my community to build skills and claim a seat at the table," she said.

Diepak Elmer, Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of Switzerland; Redita Rokib, Advisor, Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Dhaka; Nayoka Martinez-Bäckström, First Secretary and Deputy Head of Development Cooperation at the Embassy of Sweden; and Md Saidur Rahman Khan, Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, attended the workshop as special guests.

Dr Nurun Nahar, Additional Secretary of the Development Wing at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, attended as the guest of honour.

Speakers underscored the need for stronger collaboration among the government, development partners, civil society, and financial institutions to expand women-led climate initiatives, strengthen inclusive financing, and support effective, gender-responsive climate policies.

"The strength of EmPower lies in its holistic cycle approach, linking local innovation and adaptation with policy discussions and decisions while working closely with grassroots women's networks," Nayoka Martinez-Bäckström said.

She said the project has also focused on building the skills and capacity of local civil society organisations, enabling them to seize opportunities as Bangladesh transitions from a lower-income to a middle-income country.

As part of the programme, the EmPower Bangladesh webpage was launched to make results, knowledge products and resources more accessible.

A photo exhibition featuring stories and photographs captured by members of the Women in Climate Action Network was also inaugurated, showcasing women-led local adaptation initiatives.

Project partners, including Bangladesh Centre for Communication Programs, Manusher Jonno Foundation and BRAC University CED, were acknowledged for their contributions.

The event also concluded with thematic discussions on renewable energy and financing, implementation of the Gender Action Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change and women's leadership in collective climate action, underlining the workshop's focus on practical next steps.