Empowering women for effective climate change adaptation: The role of the private sector

Compiled from interviews by the Private Adaptation Finance component at GIZ and supplemented by desk research, this brief highlights the private sector’s potential to empower women as catalysts for climate adaptation. While the focus spans Africa and South Asia, the insights presented resonate across diverse cultural and regional contexts. Addressing women’s vulnerabilities, the brief delves into how Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) can support women empowerment across their operations, value chains, and products. Additionally, it explores amplifying the role of female entrepreneurs and leveraging investor influence to bolster women’s engagement in climate resilience efforts.

Recommendations from the publication include: 

• Leading by example and approaching gender equality as a team effort 
• Mainstreaming gender considerations throughout  the investment process, including in due diligence  and strategic advisory
• Collecting data on the effects of gender mainstreaming  and making it publicly available
• Tailoring messages and actions to the respective  cultural context