Blog: Climate justice starts with gender justice - Lessons from Eswatini and Sri Lanka

Reflections by Dr Deepa Pullanikkatil, Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser, Kingdom of Eswatini, and Dr Gina Maswabi, Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Kingdom of Eswatini offer complementary lessons on moving from gender-responsive climate commitments to measurable impact. While climate policies worldwide are becoming more ambitious, these countries show that ambition alone is not enough. If climate action fails to reflect the different realities of women, men, young people and vulnerable communities, it risks leaving many behind as they prepare for the impacts of climate change.

Earlier this year, these two countries were the focus of a virtual dialogue convened by the Commonwealth Secretariat under the theme Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls. Since then, the Commonwealth Climate Finance Advisers to Sri Lanka and Eswatini explored how more countries across the Commonwealth can make climate action more inclusive, effective and fair.

Gender-responsive approaches in Eswatini and Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, gender equality and social inclusion are being integrated into national climate planning processes helping to embed gender considerations even at sub-national level. This includes Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0), the reviewed National Adaptation Plan, the National Policy on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (2023) and a Gender and Social Action Plan under the National Adaptation Plan which all supported the process.

In Eswatini, gender-responsive approaches are being embedded directly within NDC 3.0 commitments, with a strong focus on women’s participation in decision-making, gender-responsive budgeting, and improving access to climate finance, particularly for women farmers and entrepreneurs. Initiatives such as the Gender Inclusive Finance Roadmap illustrate how climate policy can be linked with financial systems to expand economic opportunity and strengthen resilience.

Together, these perspectives underscore a common message that gender-responsive climate action is not just about representation. It is about results and ensuring that climate policy, finance and implementation systems are inclusive, accountable and responsive to the needs of those most affected by climate change.

Despite their different geographical contexts, Sri Lanka facing coastal vulnerabilities, and Eswatini grappling with agricultural and water-related challenges, both countries offer practical lessons on embedding gender in climate action. Their experiences show how Commonwealth member countries can learn from one another while adapting solutions to national realities.

Commonwealth efforts to mainstream gender-responsive climate action

Across the Commonwealth, efforts are already underway to support this transition. Through initiatives such as the Best Practice Guide for Gender Integration in NDCs, the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH), and the Collaborative Network on Gender-Responsive Climate Action (CCN-GRA), member countries are strengthening institutional capacity, advancing inclusive climate policies, and improving access to climate finance. As countries raise climate ambition, one principle remains central: climate action will only be truly effective if it is inclusive by design.

Small and vulnerable Commonwealth countries, continue to face significant challenges in accessing international climate finance despite being among the most affected by climate change. Established in 2016, following the mandate from the 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta, the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub has become a key mechanism for helping countries overcome these barriers through long-term technical assistance, including capacity building and project development.