This brief explores the gender-specific effects of climate change and how inequality can exacerbate the impacts of climate-induced disasters.

Gender inequalities, fueled by societal norms and defined gender roles, affect not only women’s exposure to hazards, but also limit their resilience and adaptive capabilities.

Therefore, governments are urged to examine the impacts of climate change through a gender lens to address key barriers to gender-responsive climate actions, and increase the roles that women play in decision-making to close such vulnerability gaps.

This policy brief is an outcome of the reflections of speakers in a panel discussion organized by Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) under the “Climate Talks” series. The topic of the discussion was Applying a gender lens to climate actions: why it matters.