SEO Riders:
– RCC EASA strengthens women climate negotiators and gender experts in 19 countries.
– New technical guide integrates gender perspectives into NDCs and LT-LEDS.
– Initiative advances transformative climate action via regional workshops and policymaker training.
Over a two-year period, the UNFCCC’s Regional Collaboration Centre for East and Southern Africa (RCC EASA) has collaborated with the African Development Bank’s Africa Climate Change Fund to elevate the role of women and gender specialists within national climate policy processes across 19 countries. The initiative culminated in the release of a technical guide designed to embed gender-responsive approaches into the drafting and revision of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Long-Term Low-Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS). A series of dialogues, online training, and participation in global climate meetings—including COP28—have equipped National Gender and Climate Change Focal Points (NGCCFPs) with tools to shape policy more equitably.
The guide itself is built on regional consultations—such as a co-hosted workshop in Windhoek, Namibia—and draws on diverse inputs from civil society, climate experts, negotiators, and national policymakers. Beyond syntax, it promotes a gender-transformative approach, challenging power imbalances and systemic inequities. The result: a blueprint that advances climate strategies serving all genders equitably by prioritizing participation, procedural fairness, and social change.
