The Women and Gender Constituency (WGC) is one of the nine stakeholder groups of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Established in 2009, the WGC now consists of 54 women’s and environmental civil society organizations, who are working to ensure that human rights and gender equality are firmly anchored in all climate actions under the UNFCCC and to challenge the extractive, exploitative and patriarchal economic model which has resulted in the climate crisis. As the WGC represents the voices of hundreds and thousands of people across the globe, members of the Constituency are present at each UNFCCC meeting and intersessional to work alongside the UNFCCC Secretariat, governments, civil society observers and other stakeholders to ensure that women’s rights and gender justice are core elements of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Our Goals

The goal of the Women’s and Gender Constituency (WGC) is to formalize the voice of the women’s rights,
feminist and gender equality-focused civil society organizations present and regularly active in UNFCCC
processes, and to develop, streamline and advocate common positions. The Constituency aims to bring
together as many NGO observers accredited to the UNFCCC as possible to work democratically towards
achieving its goals. Individuals and organizations who are not accredited to the UNFCCC are encouraged to
work through those accredited members and participate in the WGC-hosted advocacy network. The
Constituency draws upon global commitments to gender equality and women’s rights, especially as they
relate to climate change, and toward the advancement of the Rio Conventions and the achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals.

Our Guiding Principles and Values for Advocacy

The principles of the Women and Gender Constituency are based on:

• Decoloniality
• Intersectionality
• Equity and Justice
• Care Economy nurturing Wellbeing and Solidarity (Economies)
• Self-determination and Agency
• Protection and Consolidation of Bodily Autonomy
• International Solidarity
• Movement Strengthening
• Transparency, Accountability, Respect and Compassion
• Self-determination and Agency
• Protection and Consolidation of Bodily Autonomy
• International Solidarity
• Movement Strengthening
• Transparency, Accountability, Respect and Compassion

Our Responsibilities

The main objectives of the Women and Gender Constituency include:

• Ensuring the representation of women’s voices, experiences, needs and capacities in the UNFCCC process and to provide gender perspectives in all related discussions
• Developing and advocating for common positions based on climate justice principles and work together towards achieving shared goals
• Contributing women and gender-sensitive perspectives and a wider critical analysis of current developments within and around the official negotiations to help foster communication between women and gender organizations and groups, and national- or international fora
• Facilitating and engaging in the daily women and gender caucus during the negotiations
• Liaising with other caucuses and constituencies, especially to identify and build upon common ground
• Collaborating on funding opportunities in a transparent manner and according to agreed guidelines, in order to support the collective work and diverse representation of the Constituency in the UNFCCC process and allow for enhanced capacity building and knowledge sharing.

A Just Framework for Action

The coordination and work of the Women and Gender Constituency will be made within the framework and guidance of the following key considerations as outlined in the WGC 2015 position paper [English], [Español], [Français]:

A just and gender-responsive climate framework can take different forms, but fundamentally it must: respect and promote human rights and gender equality; ensure sustainable development and environmental integrity; require fair, equitable, ambitious and binding mitigation commitments in line with the principles of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR); call for urgent and prioritized adaptation action and resources that respond to the most vulnerable countries, communities and populations; demand a sustainable energy paradigm that prioritizes safe, decentralized renewable energy systems that benefit people and communities; ensure adequate, new, additional and predictable climate finance for developing countries; provide resources to reconcile loss and damage already incurred from climate inaction; and, ensure full, inclusive and gender-equitable public participation in decision-making, with increased mandatory ex-ante and periodic human rights and gender equality impact assessments. It must ensure that gender equality, equal access to decision making, and benefit sharing are integrated into all its provisions, including through gender-responsive means of implementation. Sex and gender disaggregated data and analysis of the underlying causes of any gender disparities must be mainstreamed in all information, communication and reporting systems.

Our Structure and Governance

The WGC maintains a flexible governance structure, including two co-focal points and a Facilitation Committee, adapted to best meet the demands of its membership and ensure proper international and regional coordination and guidance. The governance structure is to be transparent and accountable to the members of the WGC. The Facilitative Committee is elected by the WGC membership base annually.

Download the Charter of the Women and Gender Constituency for further details. 

WGC Facilitative Committee and co-Focal Points

Our inaugural Facilitative Committee comprised of Bridget Burns (left) and Gina Cortés (right) who together served as Co-Focal Points of the Constituency representating the global North and global South. In addition, the Facilitative Committee’s members for 2022-24 were Cathy Li (Climates), Hwei Lim (Advocate), Gertrude Kenyangi (SWAGEN), Kalyani Raj (AIWC), Marisa Hutchinson (IWRAW), Mwanahamisi Singano (WEDO) and Pat Bohland (LIFE).

In 2024, we welcomed 2 new Facilitators in in Babitha P.S, Nada Elbohi representing our Advocacy network! Together with Marisa Hutchinson Pat Bohland, Gertrude Kenyangi, Mwanahamisi Singano and Gina Cortés, they make up the Facilitative Committee for 2024-25 period, with Gina and Mwanahamisi serving as WGC’s co-focal points. 

Together they are largely responsible for the facilitation of the exchange of information between members of the constituency, observer organizations and the secretariat. Find more information here.