Climate change hits women hardest, funding support inadequate: UNGCNI

New Delhi: Climate change has serious impacts from a gender perspective, yet the capital flowing toward supporting women affected by it represents only a small fraction of what is required, a top representative of the United Nations Global Compact Network India (UNGCNI) said.

In an interview with PTI Videos, Vaishali Nigam Sinha, president of UNGCNI, emphasised the need to recognise the vital role women play in climate-related disaster management and to reduce the impacts of climate change on their lives through targeted investment.

"During climate-related disasters, women are significantly more likely to be affected. It is important to protect and support women when addressing climate-related impacts. However, when we look at the capital flowing toward helping women affected by climate change, it is only a small fraction of what is required -- about 10 per cent," Sinha told PTI.

In 2025, a UN women report warned that under a worst-case climate scenario, up to 158.3 million more women and girls may live in extreme poverty globally as a result of climate change by 2050.

Highlighting the plight of women in rural regions, she noted that those working in farming or similar jobs are often unrecognised and unpaid, yet are directly affected by extreme heat, particularly in regions such as Rajasthan and Gujarat, which impacts their mental health, livelihoods, and many other aspects of their lives.

The UNGCNI president also pointed out the practical challenges women face on the ground. "In the renewable energy sector, for women to work on sites, hospitals and proper sanitation facilities (for both men and women) are essential." She underscored that while these facilities may seem standard in Delhi, they are far from guaranteed in the remotest parts of the country.

When asked about her statement on the gap between commitments and on-ground implementation, especially when it comes to areas like sustainability and gender inclusion, the UNGCNI president stressed that commitment is the biggest factor, as well as a trigger.

"A systematic approach is needed to define a program and carry out project planning. If what is being done cannot be measured, it is not getting done. Implementation requires having a plan and ensuring it is executed on time. Time is running out," said Sinha, Co-Founder of decarbonisation solutions company -- ReNew.

"We are already in 2026 and are looking at the 2030 timeline for many of the SDGs that need to be implemented, especially SDG five," she added.

Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) aims to ensure gender equality and empower women and girls worldwide.

Introduced by the United Nations in 2015 as part of its 2030 agenda, the goal highlights that gender equality is not only a basic human right but also essential for building a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world.

In response to a question on whether artificial intelligence is fuelling gender disparity, Sinha said, "It is true to some extent," while stressing that AI can also be used positively to ensure more girls are educated and have access to opportunities in areas that never existed before.

"In a country like India, where poverty and illiteracy are significant challenges, I believe we can use AI positively to ensure more girls are educated and have access to opportunities in areas that never existed before. It is a huge opportunity, and we must embrace it," the ReNew Co-Founder told PTI.

"At the same time, we need guardrails to ensure it does not have negative impacts," she added.

On Friday, the UNGCNI convened over 200 leaders from government, the UN, industry, academia, and civil society for the 9th Gender Equality summit to discuss private sector action on gender equality and women's participation in leadership, entrepreneurship, and more.