Focusing on gender, Geledés – Black Woman’s Institute held the second round of its “Debate Cycle Towards COP30” on May 9th, continuing an initiative that brings together experts and social leaders to discuss strategies that meet the needs of People of African descendants’ populations in global decision-making arenas. As part of the preparations for the Conference of the Parties (COPs), and grounded in the Global South’s racial justice agenda, the first round of this series explored the topic of Just Transition. Upcoming sessions will address Climate Adaptation and Climate Finance.
The virtual event on gender featured Mwanahamisi Singano, Director of Policy at the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) and member of the Women and Gender Constituency; Angie Dazé, Director of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion for Resilience at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD); and Adriana Gabinio, diplomat at Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty). The discussion was moderated by Letícia Leobet, international affairs advisor at Geledés.
In her presentation, Mwanahamisi Singano linked the climate crisis to a direct consequence of historical systems of oppression. “Climate change is merely a result of long-standing systems in operation—patriarchy, colonialism, racism, and the other ‘isms.’ All of these systems have worked collaboratively because they were designed as a perfect set. That’s why we call them systems of oppression and exploitation. These systems have collectively extracted from nature and from our planet, leading to multiple climate crises,” she said.
Singano drew attention to the disproportionate impact of these systems on marginalized populations, especially Black people, women, Indigenous peoples, the LGBTQIA+ community, and people with disabilities. “Even our very existence in this world has become mere survival. We are in a state of simply being victims of the crisis, because everything was taken from us—our power, our identity, our resources.”
While contextualizing progress in international climate negotiations, Singano recalled the trajectory of the gender debate within the COPs. “As Letícia Leobet mentioned, this year COP30 is expected to deliver and adopt a Gender Action Plan,” she said, referring to the remarks of Geledés’ international affairs advisor.
The WEDO Policy Director also called for the visibility of structural inequalities. “We’ve been working to ensure that the intersection of race and gender is at the center of climate policy. Only then can we achieve fair, lasting responses rooted in the realities of communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis.”
Adriana Gabinio, from Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty), stated that Brazil is committed to promoting climate justice with an intersectional approach in multilateral climate negotiations, particularly in the ongoing review of the Gender Action Plan (GAP) under the UN Climate Convention. According to her, this commitment is reflected in preparations for COP30.
The Brazilian diplomat, who works in the Climate Action Division at Itamaraty and negotiates on issues related to gender, agriculture, and maritime decarbonization, highlighted that Brazil’s delegation has been striving to incorporate race and social inequality as core issues in the climate debate. “We firmly believe it is essential to address structures of inequality in order to build a just transition,” she said.
Despite the progress, Gabinio acknowledged limitations within the multilateral process. “Negotiation involves more than 190 parties. We need to reach consensus, which everyone knows is extremely difficult. We will use all possible mechanisms to raise and advance these priority issues, while remaining realistic about the context,” she said. She noted some progress: “We’ve managed to talk about gender-disaggregated data and include age as a factor, which we already see as a step we can build on to include further advances.”
According to Gabinio, the document submitted by Brazil emphasizes the importance of human rights and the recognition of the multiple vulnerabilities of groups affected by climate change. “We are proposing concrete ways to move forward. For example, including the needs of girls in National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), through elements related to girls’ education in disaster contexts, and the risks of sexual violence faced by women and girls,” she said.
Another point she raised was the need for data disaggregated by gender and age, with breakdowns that include race and sexuality. “For Brazil, it is essential to disaggregate data in a way that reflects the diversity of women and the factors that heighten their vulnerabilities.”
Gabinio stressed that the new GAP must serve as an implementation tool, not just a symbolic acknowledgment. “The challenge is to think of concrete activities that can be embedded in the text. Climate action cannot remain paralyzed, waiting for more ambitious political consensus.”
Angie Dazé, Director of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion for Resilience at IISD, advocated for strengthening the links between gender and other areas of climate action.
“We cannot confine gender issues to the GAP. We need to ensure it creates meaningful links with other areas of the climate negotiations, such as mitigation, and loss and damage,” said Dazé, who has participated in UNFCCC processes for years.
She also stressed that implementation at the national level will be crucial. “Real action happens in countries. That’s why it’s essential for civil society actors focused on gender and social justice to engage across all areas of the climate process—not just gender-specific discussions,” she stated.
She also cited the Framework for Climate Resilience as a document that, albeit subtly, allows room for intersectional approaches. “I’m not sure if they mean ‘intersectional’ the same way we do, but it’s there—and it opens a space for us to advocate for intersectionality and adaptation. The message I want to leave is that we must absolutely fight for the best language possible in these decisions, but also recognize that there’s ample space for adaptation and, more importantly, in implementing decisions, where we can push for progress,” she explained.
Dazé further encouraged civil society engagement in the national implementation of the Paris Agreement. “The commitments made over the past decades must be closely monitored. Brazil has a major opportunity with COP30, but what matters most is what comes after—in how the government implements those commitments, especially for Afro-descendant populations and other historically excluded groups,” she concluded.
In her closing remarks, Dazé left an encouraging message for gender justice advocates in international climate spaces. “There will always be someone bringing the feminist perspective to the debates on climate, climate finance, and other issues. These capacities allow us to translate and engage deeply. That has been our greatest progress. We continue influencing decisions—winning some, losing others—but we move forward together, as a collective, toward the next stage.”
Kátia Mello is a journalist at Geledés and holds a Master’s degree in African Studies from the University of Birmingham (UK).
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