The Executive Secretary of the Indigenous Women Empowerment Network (IWEN Ghana), Celestina Andoh, has called for a practical way to explore strategies to fix gender inequality gaps in climate change responses and policies. 

According to her, indigenous women and girls experience the greatest impacts of the climate crisis as it amplifies existing gender inequalities and puts their lives and livelihoods at risk.

In a press release to mark this year’s International Women’s Day, Ms Andoh said across the world, women depend more on the environment yet have less access to natural resources and often bear unequal responsibility for securing fuel, water and food.

Indigenous women and girls she noted bear the burden of climate impacts adding that “without their inclusion, it is unlikely that solutions for a sustainable planet and a gender-equal world tomorrow will be attained”. 

Ms Andoh said challenges remain in Ghana, regarding institutional capacities to mainstream gender equality that will coordinate gender and climate issues across the sectors.

The Executive Secretary of IWEN Ghana underscored the need to increase indigenous women’s participation at all levels especially those at the grassroots and to strengthen capacities on gender mainstreaming to ensure they are part of the decision-making process.

She indicated IWEN Ghana will continuously carry out advocacy and sensitization on the implementation of the National Gender Policy which mandates all sectors to mainstream gender into their planning and budgeting, especially among districts and municipal assemblies.

IWEN Ghana drives local action for increased investment with a focus on financing for gender-just climate solutions, increasing indigenous women’s leadership in the green economy, building indigenous women and girls’ resilience to climate impacts and disasters.

Ms Andoh commended Plan International, Global Affairs Canada and Women's Voices and Leadership Ghana for supporting many grassroots women organisations in Ghana to champion and promote women’s issues.