The Ministry of Tourism and Environment has held an inception workshop on 26 January to initiate the development of the Maldives’ first Climate Change Gender Action Plan (CC-GAP), taking a new step in integrating gender considerations into national climate action.

The workshop, inaugurated by the Minister of State for Tourism and Environment Ibrahim Mimrah, was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Social and Family Development and brought together representatives from key Government institutions, academia, civil society and international partners.

Participants included officials from the President’s Office, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Planning, and Education, the Maldives Meteorological Service, The Maldives National University, the Islamic University of Maldives, local non-governmental organisations, and United Nations agencies such as UNDP and UNICEF.

Speaking at the ceremony, State minister Mimrah highlighted that the impacts of climate change across sectors such as health, infrastructure, disaster risk reduction, livelihoods and income-generating activities are increasingly shaped by existing gender disparities. He also noted that while women and marginalised groups possess important knowledge and leadership capacities, these are not always adequately recognised or effectively utilised in the formulation and implementation of climate-related policies.

The State minister further noted that although gender-related actions are included in the Maldives’ third Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0), the CC-GAP represents the first national framework developed with a dedicated focus on advancing gender equity within the context of climate change.

According to the Climate Change Department of the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, the CC-GAP will serve as a structured framework to systematically integrate gender considerations into climate adaptation and mitigation planning, implementation and monitoring processes.

During the workshop, participants engaged in presentations and group discussions examining the linkages between gender and climate change in the Maldives. The discussions focused on identifying sector-specific vulnerabilities, gaps in existing policies and opportunities to strengthen gender-responsive climate actions. Collaborative sessions were also held to develop an initial conceptual framework and prioritise actions across key sectors.

The Climate Change Gender Action Plan is being developed by the Climate Change Department of the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, with technical assistance from the NAP Global Network.