A giant puppet named Little Amal — which is the Arabic word for hope — opened the COP26 plenary event on gender equality, calling attention to refugee children living on the front lines of climate change.

There has been new momentum from around the world to put gender at the forefront of climate action on Gender Day, as countries and non state actors set out gender and climate commitments, including:

• • Bolivia committing to promote the leadership of women and girls, especially indigenous,.
  • Canada to ensure that 80% of its $5.3 billion climate investments over the next five years target gender equality outcomes. 
  • Ecuador committing to strengthen leadership, negotiation, and decision-making capacities within women’s organisations working on climate.
  • Germany announcing a new Gender Strategy under its International Climate Initiative (IKI) which will promote gender-transformative approaches in international climate and biodiversity cooperation.
  • Nigeria expanding on its Implementation Strategy for their National Gender and Climate Action Plan. 
  • Sweden announcing new measures to firmly embed gender equality within all their climate action, as mentioned in Sweden’s Climate Policy Action Plan.
  • The UK setting out how £165 million in funding will address the dual challenges of gender inequality and climate change.
  • The USA promoting gender equity and equality in responding to climate change as a priority of its National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality; investing at least $14 million of the Gender Equity and Equality Action Fund toward gender-responsive climate programming; and investing more than $20 million towards initiatives to increase women’s economic opportunities in the clean energy sector, strengthen action on gender-based violence and the environment, address barriers to women’s land rights, and support women farmers in East Africa to adapt to climate impacts.