The Gender Action Plan
Climate change disproportionately affects women and girls due to a number of factors, including age, poverty, ethnicity, and marginalization, as well as complex power relations and socio-economic characteristics.

Many women face formidable challenges in influencing policy and decision-making, reflecting deep-seated gender inequalities. Structural barriers, including entrenched stereotypes and cultural biases, often prevent women from influencing policy and decision-making, and influence in climate policy and decision-making is no exception.

A pervasive gender gap in environmental leadership often marginalizes women’s perspectives and hinders their ability to advocate for inclusive and equitable policies.
Discriminatory social norms and systemic biases reinforce these gaps, limiting women’s access to platforms where climate decisions are made.

Moreover, the disproportionate impact of climate change on women, particularly in vulnerable communities, underscores the urgency of including them in policy discussions. Balancing domestic responsibilities, inadequate representation, and limited access to resources further hinder women’s participation in climate decision-making.

Women in developing countries who are highly dependent on local and natural resources face many challenges exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. For example, shifts in weather patterns and environmental degradation disrupt traditional livelihoods, disproportionately affecting women who are primarily engaged in agricultural or resource-dependent activities to support their families. This economic strain is compounded by an increased burden of care work, as women often bear the responsibility for coping with health risks, displacement, and psychological stress resulting from climate-related events. Water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change, places a significant burden on women who, as primary caregivers, are responsible for water-related tasks, leading to increased health risks and limited access to clean water. In addition, climate-related disruptions to food production contribute to food insecurity, with women, as the main contributors to agricultural activities, facing challenges in ensuring adequate nutrition for their families.

Their key role in managing resources enables them to adapt their livelihoods to climate change. Their extensive knowledge and expertise make them effective actors and agents of change.

Under the UNFCCC, the Lima Work Programme on Gender (LWPG) was established at COP20 in 2014 to promote gender balance and integrate gender considerations into the work of Parties and the UNFCCC Secretariat in line with the Paris Agreement to achieve gender-responsive climate policies and actions.

At COP25, in 2019 parties adopted the enhanced 5-year Lima Work Programme on Gender (LWPG) (1) and its Gender Action Plan (GAP).

The GAP includes twenty activities grouped under five priorities areas:
–    Building capacity, managing knowledge, and communication;
–    Gender balance, participation, and women’s leadership;
–    Coherence;
–    Implementing gender-responsive policies; and
–    Monitoring and reporting.
At COP26, Parties adopted the decision (2) to review the implementation of the Gender Action Plan.

At COP27, the intermediate review (3) of the implementation of the gender action plan was presented, and parties adopted the amendments (4) to the gender action plan.

At COP28, Parties adopted a Decision on Gender and Climate Change (5), laying the groundwork for advancing gender equality and women’s rights in future COP processes.

The COP28 Presidency launched the Gender-Responsive Just Transitions & Climate Action Partnership (6), which was endorsed by 68 Parties. It focuses on three core pillars: (i) improving the quality of data to support decision-making in transition planning, (ii) ensuring more effective financial flows to regions most affected by climate change, and (iii) ensuring access to education, skills and capacity building to support individual engagement in transitions. The partnership aims to build on progress made through the enhanced UN Climate Change Lima Work Programme and its Gender Action Plan.

3.    Objective of the assignment
Engage FBOs in the implementation of the Gender Action Plan in the framework of the Paris Agreement and UNFCCC by advocating for the integration of gender perspectives into global and national climate policies.

4.    Expected deliverables
The expected deliverables are the following:
– Develop methodology and analyze the status of the implementation of the Gender Action Plan – GAP in selected countries (7). The analysis will include other countries with positive performance in implementing the GAP.
– Analyzes the performance of at least three climate funds in implementing the GAP.
– Develop an index that could be used to measure the implementation of the GAP, including a correlation analysis with the Gender Inequality Index.
– Provide policy recommendations for integrating gender equality considerations into national climate policies (NCD and NAPs) and climate funds.

These deliverables are to be:
Prepared in English
Submitted to the LWF Program Executive for Climate Justice electronically via e-mail.

5.    Suggested time frame and period of the assignment
The assignment will take place from Feb – May 2024.
The estimated number of working days is about 25 between February and May 2024.

6.    Methodology
A high level of technical expertise in the linkages between climate change impacts and gender is important.

The assignment is coordinated by the Program Executive for Climate Justice Elena Cedillo.

The methodology will be determined by the consultant in conversation with the Program Executive for Climate Justice, but it is important to note that some of the activities that should be included among others that are relevant to the outcomes are as follows: review of existing literature related to the implementation of the GAP and in-depth analysis of the integration of the GAP in national climate policies such as NAPS and NDC of selected countries; online meeting with LWF staff on the progress of the consultation; online interviews with representatives of FBOs and relevant stakeholders involved in climate justice advocacy; (online) workshop to present findings on the status of implementation of the Gender Action Plan – GAP in selected countries and to validate the index.

7.    Qualifications and Experience of the consultant(s)
–    Proven experience in climate justice and gender justice related work.
–    Proven track record of conducting similar work.
–    Experience in conducting remote research (online interviews, surveys, etc.)
–    Excellent writing skills in English.
–    Experience in working with faith-based organizations;
–    Knowledge of LWF and the ACT Alliance members is an advantage.

8.    Content of the consultant’s offer
Interested candidates who fulfill the above qualifications shall submit the following:
A technical and financial offer according to the present terms of reference;
–    The technical offer shall contain a summary presentation of the proposed approach and the suggested methods to be used.
–    The financial offer shall contain the costs for honorarium (including taxes) based on a daily rate and any other costs.
–    CV(s) of all consultants involved.
–    A written sample of previous similar work.