Climate change is intensifying inequalities and reshaping the lives of women and girls across the world, particularly in climate hotspots where high climate exposure, precarious livelihoods, and gender inequality intersect. Drawing on new evidence from Progress of the World’s Women 2026: Gender Equality in the Age of Climate Crisis, to be published in 2027, this fact sheet shows how unequal patterns of wealth, consumption, and emissions fuel a crisis whose greatest costs fall on those least responsible.

At the same time, it demonstrates how feminist climate justice can drive a gender-just transition that strengthens resilience, expands access to quality jobs, and accelerates climate action. It sets out priorities for transformative adaptation, gender-responsive climate finance, stronger social protection systems, and investments in care to advance a more equal and sustainable future for people and the planet.