For real climate action, empower women
Summary
Elma Kay, managing director of the Belize Maya Forest Trust, argues that genuine climate action requires empowering women in both communities and government. Drawing on examples from Belize — including the Community Baboon Sanctuary, large-scale avoided-deforestation projects and the Belize Blue Bonds ocean conservation refinancing — Kay shows that women are central to grassroots stewardship and sustainable-finance initiatives. Yet women remain underrepresented in national decision-making, limiting their ability to scale up conservation and resilience efforts. The author calls for COP30 and national leaders to make gender equity a core part of climate policy and financing.
Key Points
- Women in Belize lead many successful community conservation initiatives and hold substantial stewardship knowledge.
- Women have played pivotal roles in major sustainable-finance deals, such as avoided-deforestation projects and the Belize Blue Bonds.
- Despite frontline leadership, women are underrepresented in elected office and high-level ministries that set national priorities.
- Gender imbalances in negotiation and funding decisions limit the effectiveness and scale of climate and biodiversity action.
- COP30 presents an opportunity to prioritise gender equity in climate finance, governance and policy-making to improve resilience for vulnerable countries.
Context and relevance
This World View piece is timed for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, and links grassroots conservation success with national policy gaps. It highlights a broader trend: community-level environmental leadership (often by women) does not automatically translate into formal power or control over funding. The article is particularly relevant to policymakers, NGOs and funders working on climate resilience, biodiversity protection and sustainable finance, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean, but the lessons are widely applicable.
Why should I read this?
Because it cuts through the usual COP pomp and points to a simple, practical lever: give women real power, not just praise. Kay shows with concrete Belize examples how women already deliver results — so shifting who negotiates and who controls funds could speed up climate wins. It’s short, sharp and useful if you care about practical policy fixes.
Source
Author: Elma Kay — Nature (11 November 2025)