Climate and Gender Equality: implications and actions for Melbourne

Climate change and disaster displacement disproportionately impact women and girls, especially in Australia and the Pacific, and further increase barriers to safety, security, and rights.

UN Women Australia (Victorian Chapter), the City of Melbourne and UNAA Victoria are holding a timely conversation, through a local lens, about the impacts of climate on gender equality in the wake of two key global discussions about women and girls' rights to justice, rights and action.

Participants from the UN's major annual gender equality meeting CSW70, will report back, along with people who have attended #WomenDeliver2026 (WD2026) in Melbourne.

Audience members will hear reports from these major events and take part in a conversation about how the outcomes of these meetings will impact women living in Melbourne. Actions and opportunities locally will also be discussed.

UN Women projects that by 2050, climate change may push up to 158 million more women and girls into extreme poverty – 16 million more than men and boys – as climate-driven impacts continue to deepen existing gender inequalities.

Australia plays a crucial role in championing women’s leadership and ensuring climate justice is gender justice.

CSW70 held in New York from 9-19 March discussed and agreed on programs to strengthen access to justice for all women and girls, including those affected by climate change.

Women Deliver 2026, held regionally for the first time in Melbourne from 27-30 April, will discuss climate justice as a gender and age issue to ensure those most impacted, especially adolescent girls, lead climate solutions. 

Moderator: Amanda Gorely, former Australian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Conference on Disarmament

Speakers:

Donnell Davis UNAA National President (CSW70)

Catherine Sherwin Co Chair UN Women Australia (Victorian Chapter), Convenor Women's Planning Network

Lucinda Gibson Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, President World Food Forum Australia Youth Chapter (WD2026)

Hannah Fearnside Delegate, Persephone Network, Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, Women in Strategic Policy (WISP) program, ANU & Girls Run the World (CSW70 & WD 2026)

Che Mudunna Co-President of UNAA (Vic) Future Leaders Network, Research Fellow, Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW) (WD2026)

Sarah Barnbrook Founder & CEO of Away from Keyboard Inc., Chief Advocacy Office Women 4 STEM (CSW70 & WD 2026)

Helena Jordan Policy Manager Global Voices, Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet & Co-Chair of Women with Disabilities (CSW70)

Ella Kay UN Youth, YMCA Youth Parliament, Youth Lead Mongolia, Girls Run the World (WD2026)

Khayshie Tilak Ramesh, Senior Lawyer Employment and Equality Law, former Multicultural Youth Commissioner of Victoria (CSW 68. 69. 70 & WD 2026)

This event forms part of the United Nations Association of Australia (Victoria) and City of Melbourne’s 2026 Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) event series.

In 2026, COP31 will be hosted in Türkiye, with Australia assuming the COP presidency of negotiations. This is a defining role for Australia and the Pacific to influence global climate discussions in the lead-up to, and at the conference in November.

In recognition of Australia’s position in the global climate agenda, UNAA Victoria and the City of Melbourne are partnering to deliver a series of seven events to highlight climate action and the localising of the United Nations’ 17 SDGs.

UNAA Victoria is dedicated to engaging local communities in advancing the SDGs, including those related to human rights and climate change.

City of Melbourne is a global leader on climate action and sustainability, winning the 2024 UN-Habitat Shanghai Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities. Melbourne was also the first Australian city to produce an SDGs Voluntary Local Review. Together, we play crucial roles in connecting the community to climate and sustainability action frameworks provided by the SDGs.

Our next event in the series will be held on 18 June and will look at climate and health. More details soon.