Advancing gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) in climate action during Gender Equality Month
As we mark Gender Equality Month in March, the Mitigation Action Facility is proud to share a first look at the findings of the Process Evaluation of the Mitigation Action Facility’s Implementation of the Gender Action Plan (GAP) 2023–2025.
Since introducing an ambitious Gender Vision in 2022, the Mitigation Action Facility has strengthened its commitment to advancing gender justice in climate mitigation. The subsequent Gender Action Plan (GAP), in force since June 2023, provides concrete guidance to ensure that all Mitigation Action Facility-funded projects integrate GESI in line with international frameworks such as the Paris Agreement and the Lima Work Programme on Gender.
As the first GAP concluded in December 2025, the Mitigation Action Facility commissioned Oxford Policy Management to conduct a Process Evaluation. The objective: assess implementation to date, capture lessons learnt, and inform the development of the GAP 2.0.
Gender as “foundational DNA”
One of the clearest emerging insights is the importance of early integration.
Projects that developed Gender Analyses and GESI Action Plans during the Detailed Preparation Phase (DPP) described gender integration as part of their project’s “foundational DNA.” Early gender analysis was not merely a compliance exercise. Stakeholders noted that it helped build a grassroots understanding of local barriers and identify existing policies that could be leveraged. Where gender considerations were embedded from the outset, implementation proved more streamlined and strategic than in cases where gender elements were retrofitted later in the project cycle.
Moving beyond “checkbox” approaches
The evaluation also highlights persistent systemic and institutional challenges.
Some stakeholders pointed to barriers such as limited institutional buy-in or perceptions that GESI is merely a “checkbox” requirement. In certain contexts, deeply rooted socio-cultural norms continue to restrict women’s participation in male-dominated sectors. As one interviewee candidly shared:
“When you don’t have any women in the sector, it’s hard to make something up, and you shouldn’t.”
The evaluation further documented structural constraints in access to finance. In some cases, local financial institutions perceive women as “risk” or “unconventional borrowers” creating systemic barriers to credit access.
These findings underscore why the Mitigation Action Facility’s GAP promotes not only gender-sensitive, but gender-responsive, and where possible, gender-transformative approaches.
The role of individual champions
Another important insight: progress often depends on individual agency.
The depth and ambition of Gender Analyses and GESI Action Plans frequently reflected the expertise, commitment, and initiative of Gender Focal Points (GFPs) and project staff. In several cases, GFPs went beyond formal requirements, conducting interviews and site visits to ensure nuanced, context-sensitive analyses.
At the same time, many GFPs carry these responsibilities alongside other duties; raising important questions about institutional capacity and the need for sustained, tailored support.
Windows of opportunity: emerging sectors
Encouragingly, the evaluation also highlights sectors where transformation may be particularly promising. In the e-mobility sector, for example, stakeholders observed growing openness to women in STEM fields. As a relatively new sub-sector, e-mobility may represent a “window of opportunity” before gender norms become entrenched.
This reinforces the importance of sector-specific guidance. A steel project, for instance, requires different tools and targets than a transport or biomass project. Tailored support, rather than general awareness training alone, will be central to strengthening GAP 2.0.
A robust and reflective evaluation process
The evaluation reviewed 27 projects across multiple funding cohorts and phases, including in-depth case studies in Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Cabo Verde, and Namibia. It combined:
- A systematic review of nearly 160 project documents
- 25 key informant interviews with 31 stakeholders
- A validation workshop with the Technical Support Unit
Through triangulation of documents, interviews, and case studies, the evaluation provides a grounded understanding of how GESI integration is unfolding across diverse sectors and regions.
Looking ahead: GAP 2.0
The findings are already informing the development of the next Gender Action Plan.
GAP 2.0 will build on what works:
- Early integration at design stage
- Clear guidance aligned with OECD DAC gender marker requirements
- Capacity development and knowledge generation
- A strong “do-no-harm” principle and commitment to meaningful representation
At the same time, it will address identified challenges; including institutional buy-in, sector-specific needs, financial inclusion barriers, and the “double burden” faced by GFPs.
As we celebrate Gender Equality Month, the Mitigation Action Facility reaffirms that climate mitigation must be inclusive to be effective. Integrating GESI is not an add-on: it is essential to delivering ambitious, just, and sustainable climate action.
The full evaluation will be shared in the coming weeks.
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