Since the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action recognized the environment as critical to gender equality, several studies have highlighted the disproportionate impacts of climate change on women and girls. Through engagement in global policymaking and use of innovative research methodologies, consensus emerged on the need for gender-responsive climate action. Progress, however, is hampered by persistent gaps in both impact and policy data. Official statistics rarely capture how climate change differently impacts women and men, and comparative evidence on how governments address these impacts remains fragmented. This article introduces the ‘Gender Equality and Climate Policy Scorecard’, a new accountability tool that provides a systematic framework for assessing climate policies from a gender perspective. To help close policy data gaps, the Scorecard translates policy documents into quantitative and qualitative data to track how governments are responding to gendered climate impacts and advancing women's participation and leadership. Applied to the 2025 round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the Scorecard supports cross-country comparisons, fosters policy learning, and monitors implementation of gender-responsive commitments. At a pivotal moment for both climate and gender negotiations — three decades after the Beijing Conference — the Scorecard offers a timely contribution to global efforts to advance accountability for gender-responsive climate action.
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The 17 pilot countries were: Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Indonesia, Jordan, Liberia, Mexico, Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia, Tanzania, Tonga and Viet Nam. Findings from the pilot were supplemented with targeted research in other countries as needed to further refine the indicators.
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While this framework focuses on analysing one specific climate policy document at a time, information from additional sources may be incorporated to ensure completeness of the indicator framework in cases of missing or incomplete information in the policy document. For instance, when there is a passing reference to a consultative process, additional research into that process can help reveal whether or not gender advocates were included in consultations. Where present, UN-Women Regional and Country Offices have helped to support further research and data validation.
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