Women’s and girls’ experiences of climate change are shaped not only by their exposure to climate hazards, but also by their access to and control over the resources needed to anticipate, withstand, and recover from climate impacts. Land is the most foundational of these resources — providing a foundation for livelihoods, food production, housing, access to water and other natural resources, cultural identity, and social and economic security. Women who have secure land tenure and control over natural resources have stronger voices, agency, and leadership in private and public matters.

Advancing women’s land rights is an essential dimension of ensuring that climate action is equitable, inclusive, and capable of delivering lasting resilience.

The role of women’s land rights in implementing the Belém GAP

The Belém Gender Action Plan (GAP), adopted at COP30, provides a nine-year framework (2026–2034) to advance gender-responsive climate action. Priority Area A focuses on capacity-building, knowledge management and communication, including strengthening the evidence base on gender and climate change. Under Deliverable A.3.9, Parties and relevant stakeholders are invited to submit national assessments by March 2027 examining the intersections of gender and climate change with issues such as health, violence against women and girls, care work, and other emerging issues. This information note makes the case for recognizing women's land rights as a critical emerging issue and offers guidance for its inclusion in national assessments.

If land rights are missing from the evidence, a critical dimension of climate resilience risks being missed.

This brief is part of the suite of GAP National Assessment Support Tools: