All women have the right to inclusive and equal participation, and to meaningful engagement in decisions that affect their lives. It could be assumed that anti-discrimination law and high-level policy commitments such as The Equality Act 2010 liberate women in a way that means there is no difference in the experiences that men and women encounter day-to-day, and that the voices of women in public consultation are therefore not necessary. However, equality of opportunity does not equate to equality of outcome.

Around 90% of single parents in the UK are women, just 34% of women hold mid-market senior leadership roles, and 97% of women in the UK aged between 18-24 have experience of sexual harassment. Within these statistics, there are other intersecting barriers like poverty, disability, race, sexual orientation, and gender identity, which greatly impact the discussion and obstacles involved in gender inequality. Ensuring that these disparities are addressed to combat the legacy of exclusion, putting women’s voices at the centre of public policy and empowering women’s voices through participation and engagement is key to health and social development of families, countries, and communities.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”. As stated on UN Women, ‘Advancing gender equality in the context of the climate crisis and disaster risk reduction is one of the greatest global challenges of the 21st century.’ Women are increasingly recognised as more vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, and are at a higher risk of violence, displacement and poverty as the climate emergency intensifies.

A 2019 study concluded that the representation of women in national parliaments leads to more stringent climate change policies across countries, and by doing so, results in lower carbon dioxide emissions. Yet, despite the proportion of women in public sector roles increasing in recent decades, women are still in the minority within the UK Parliament, currently making up only 35% of the House of Lords. The chronic underrepresentation of women and marginalised groups both nationally and locally is a major barrier in gender equality and initiating climate action. The democratic process needs diverse representation to enrich participation and engagement, and to enhance policy outcomes that benefit us all. It is well established and documented that diversity within politics and leadership has a positive impact on all aspects of public life. For a sustainable future to be within reach, women’s and girl’s full participation in decision-making processes is vital, both at a grassroots level and within the accountability of leaders.

The underrepresentation of women in arenas of public policy and decision making is just one of the factors that serve as a reminder that we are still on a journey. Sexual and reproductive health rights are fundamental for gender equality, and vital to consider within the response to the climate emergency. In 2017, Scotland’s Children and Young People’s Commissioner published their findings of the proposed bill titled Ending Period Poverty, which sought to ensure free access to sanitary products to women, girls, trans and non-binary people. As a result, Scotland established ground-breaking legislation to become the first country in the world to make period products free to anyone who needs them.

When it comes to climate justice, access to period products impacts health, sanitation, education, poverty, and equality. It is a global issue, and one that requires good universal public policy. A 2017 study reported that 1 in 10 girls had been unable to afford sanitary products, 1 in 7 had to borrow sanitary wear from a friend due to affordability issues, and 1 in 10 had to improvise sanitary wear. With climate change disproportionally affecting women, period poverty, gender inequality and sexual health rights are a climate justice issue. Ahead of COP26 in November last year, activists raised their concern at the lack of women’s senior leadership in climate negotiations. Within the UK, 45% of the COP26 team were women, but their roles often related to event organising, or as Advisors, rather than core team members.

Ultimately, the goal must be a community-initiated approach with broad and diverse participants, whereby results and decisions are shared with communities to maintain continuous engagement. To achieve a sustainable future, expectations must be raised across both sides of the conversation, including political representation and within communities. Organisations must address the barriers faced by women in their engagement activities, and targeting seldom heard groups must be at the forefront of fighting gender inequality, particularly in regards to addressing the climate emergency.