• Gender Equality

Webinar on International Women’s Day: Gender, Climate Change, and Security

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On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) is organizing a webinar to address the intersection of gender, climate change, and security. This timely discussion will explore key challenges and opportunities for advancing women’s roles in climate governance and peacebuilding, while also launching the second UfM-IEMed MedWE Policy Paper: “Climate Crisis and Gender Equality in the Euro-Mediterranean Region – Emerging Security Risks.”

The Euro-Mediterranean region is increasingly recognized as a climate change hotspot, facing rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and an escalation in extreme weather events. These climatic changes exacerbate existing vulnerabilities, particularly for women, who are disproportionately affected due to deeply entrenched gender inequalities. Women’s limited access to landownership, agricultural resources, and decision-making spaces further restricts their ability to adapt to climate challenges.

In conflict-prone areas, climate change acts as a stress multiplier, exacerbating displacement and instability. The forced migration journey often exposes women to heightened risks of violence and trauma. Despite this, women are not just victims but key agents of resilience and leadership in climate adaptation. Across the region, women are at the forefront of sustainable resource management, local enterprise development, and disaster risk reduction initiatives. However, their voices remain underrepresented in decision-making spaces.

This webinar aims to highlight these pressing issues, promote a gender-responsive approach to climate change and peacebuilding, and foster dialogue among international and national organizations, policymakers, and gender equality advocates, including youth actors.

Key topics of discussion

• Integrating gender into climate adaptation and displacement policies.
• Promoting women’s leadership and knowledge sharing in disaster risk reduction and resilience initiatives.
• Localizing the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda in the Mediterranean region.
• Advancing women’s participation in security and peacebuilding processes.
• Ensuring long-term sustainability of WPS initiatives through enhanced funding and collaboration.

Key objectives of the webinar

1. Raise Awareness – Highlight the impact of climate change on gender equality and peacebuilding.
2. Promote Good Practices – Share examples of successful women-led climate adaptation initiatives.
3. Encourage Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration – Facilitate dialogue among policymakers, think tanks, and civil society organizations.
4. Launch of the UfM-IEMed MedWE Policy Paper – Present key findings and policy recommendations on climate and gender equality in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
5. Identify Next Steps – Discuss actionable strategies to strengthen women’s roles in climate governance and security frameworks.

The webinar is open to all stakeholders interested in gender equality, climate resilience, and peacebuilding. 

Kindly register here to receive the webinar Zoom Link. The connection link will be shared with registered participants a few days before the event.