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Gender and social equity: Promoting inclusion to enhance climate resilience for all

 

Although the effects of climate change are felt by everyone, women, Indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities, youth, and the poor are disproportionately affected. IDRC supports inclusive solutions to empower marginalized communities to become agents of change and to enhance the resilience of vulnerable people throughout the Global South.

Marginalized groups often lack access to and control over resources, power, and knowledge. These limitations determine the responsibilities assigned to them, the activities they undertake, and their decision-making opportunities. Effective climate action must consider the many and complex ways in which gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, age, and physical ability influence how individuals experience climate change.

IDRC-funded adaptation research has improved the lives and livelihoods of millions by delivering innovative, evidence-based, inclusive solutions that improve climate resilience, promote greater social equity, and enhance the livelihoods of vulnerable communities throughout the Global South. IDRC’s work in this area aims to:

  • support demand-driven, policy-relevant research, with an emphasis on the effects of climate change on the lives and livelihoods of women and girls;
  • provide knowledge and evidence on the complex social factors that influence climate vulnerability and adaptive capacity; and
  • enhance the agency and the adaptive capacities of those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. 

Learn more about the range of IDRC-supported initiatives that empower women and underrepresented people: