From the Ground Up: Women Driving Climate Solutions in Bangladesh
Date:
Author: Shararat Islam
At a National Stakeholder Consultation in April 2025, UN Women and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) showcased the leadership of women in climate action under the EmPower project. Supported by Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, and Switzerland, the event convened women’s rights organizations, government agencies, financial institutions, and development partners to promote gender-responsive climate solutions in Bangladesh and the region.
Scaling Impact through Finance and Innovation
Athena Denise Galao (UN Women) and Ayako Sakamoto (UNEP) announced that USD 56.9 million has been mobilized through EmPower to scale women-led climate initiatives. In Bangladesh, strategic partnerships with BRAC Bank, Bangladesh Bank, and the SME Foundation have enabled risk guarantees, interest subsidies, and improved loan access—benefiting 43,000 nano and microenterprises, 300 small businesses, and 30 climate tech start-ups.
UNEP’s new initiative, the South Asia Finance Facility for Acceleration and Leverage (SAFFAL), aims to support 50 women-led SMEs and mobilize USD 6 million in climate-resilient sectors like agrifood and renewable energy. Central to this effort is capacity building through ESG assessment tools and targeted training for MSMEs and financial institutions.
Women at the Centre: The LAPA Model
A standout success of EmPower is the Local Adaptation Plans for Action (LAPA), presented by Jannatul Mawa of Bindu Nari Unnayan Shangathan. Implemented in five districts through 10 women-led civil society organizations, LAPA uses community mapping and seasonal calendars to help women lead climate responses—such as managing agricultural salinity. The model reframes women as proactive agents of change, not victims.
Participants recognized LAPA’s potential as a scalable, locally driven model. Suggestions included leveraging CSR funding, government budgets, and international climate finance to scale clean-tech solutions like solar incubators, biogas digesters, and rainwater harvesting systems managed by women’s cooperatives. A key recommendation was expanding access to flexible loans around USD 500, which fall outside traditional microfinance brackets.
Advancing Women’s Climate Entrepreneurship
In a session on entrepreneurship, Nasrin Ahmed of Manusher Jonno Foundation described how women leaders across ten upazilas are organizing through the Women in Climate Action Network—a coalition of 100 women-led groups. However, digital exclusion remains a barrier, with many women lacking smartphones and internet access.
Government representatives from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA) and the Ministry of Agriculture called for area-specific training and climate-smart income-generation strategies. “The Ministry is committed to addressing gendered climate impacts,” said MoWCA Joint Secretary Dilara Begum, referencing collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on gender data collection.
Jesmin Nahar, Deputy Secretary of MoEFCC, emphasized that the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and Climate Change Gender Action Plan (CCGAP) integrate gender perspectives and are supported by national climate funds like the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF).
Financing the Future
A dedicated session on climate finance examined gaps in access for women entrepreneurs. Bangladesh Bank’s Jobayer Ahmed stressed the importance of allocating green financing quotas and expediting loan approvals. “There is no climate action without women,” he said.
Khadija Mariam of BRAC Bank highlighted persistent barriers: many women lack documentation or familial support needed to access credit. Participants urged more flexible loans for displaced women and informal workers, alongside simplified procedures, financial literacy, and family engagement. BRAC University is developing sustainable business models to support women in climate-vulnerable areas.
A Call to Continue the Conversation
UN Women Deputy Representative Navanita Sinha closed the consultation by calling for sustained partnerships to drive gender-responsive climate action. As EmPower progresses, it is fostering a growing network of women leaders—proving that resilience and sustainable climate solutions start at the grassroots.