Climate change and climate-induced emergencies\u2014and their downstream effects on income, nutrition, water, and access to health services and products\u2014are linked to increased rates of gender-based violence, child marriages, and poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes.<\/a> Because climate change poses a disproportionate threat to the health and livelihood of women and girls, shifting harmful gender norms and practices among climate-vulnerable communities is critical. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s why, in honor of this #16Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence<\/a><\/strong>, we’re highlighting our new Toolkit for Applying a Gender-Transformative Approach to Women-Led Climate Resilience<\/a>. This toolkit provides practical guidance for promoting women\u2019s leadership and agency in improving community resilience to climate change and expanding access to quality health care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, nearly 48 million more women than men face food insecurity and hunger.<\/a> By 2050, climate change could drive 158 million more women and girls into poverty\u201416 million more than the anticipated number of men and boys. Some driving factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n While climate change programs often acknowledge the role of gender in differential outcomes for women and men, little guidance exists on how to develop programs that explicitly target these disparities while also promoting the leadership of women and girls. This toolkit provides practical resources, tools, and insights to fill this gap, based on Pathfinder\u2019s experience implementing a women-led climate resilience program in Bangladesh and Pakistan.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Our gender-transformative approach to women-led climate resilience is rooted in collaborative design and co-implementation. Through working closely with members of the community, local organizations, and institutional partners, we developed a five-pronged approach for improving gender equity across the individual, household, community, and institutional levels: <\/p>\n\n\n\n This approach resonated\u2014and sparked tangible, lasting change among climate-vulnerable communities in Bangladesh and Pakistan. This change was driven by community volunteers called Climate Champions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Climate Champions Chandi and Mohin, a married couple, live in Umerkot, Sindh, Pakistan\u2014an area experiencing increasingly frequent droughts and floods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After participating in a workshop that brought together women, girls, men, and boys to discuss and challenge harmful gender norms, they were inspired to volunteer for Pathfinder’s Surmi Ke Sur<\/em>, a community theatre initiative where men and women performed together, raising awareness about the impact of climate change on women and girls, speaking out against child marriage, and changing the way the community viewed traditional gender roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, Chandi is a community leader, and Mohin\u2019s models and encourages men’s and boys’ allyship. Together, they have performed in over 50 community theater events, facilitating important conversations and catalyzing real change in attitudes and behaviors around gender equity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.pathfinder.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/16Days-2-819x1024.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"#16Days\"](\"https:\/\/www.pathfinder.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/16Days-1-3-819x1024.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nWhy are women and girls more affected by climate change?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nHow does the toolkit help?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What does the toolkit look like in action?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Chandi and Mohin<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.pathfinder.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Web-DSC02665.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.pathfinder.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Web-DSC02660.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.pathfinder.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image-1.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n