Girls are becoming our agents of change for climate justice and gender equality

Not gender neutral: In some countries, girls are often kept out of school to fetch water. As the region experiences more droughts, girls are having to walk further to find water. – Others

AS world leaders convene in Egypt for the United Nations climate change conference, COP27, it is important to recognise where some of the most forceful initiatives for change are coming from. Throughout the Asia Pacific we have documented how girls are increasingly leading local and national climate change movements while galvanising support and rallying and inspiring other girls.

These trends are heartening. Yet research contained in Plan International’s 2022 Asia-Pacific Girls Report: Their Fight for the Future reveals that in many countries climate action by girls is blocked by both policies and by discrimination. For nations keen to meet their Paris Agreement goals, this represents a serious missed opportunity.