The climate crisis is accelerating, bringing with it a polycrisis of social, economic, and political disruptions. Yet those most affected are often the least recognised as leaders: women in the Global South. We talk about climate resilience. But we rarely ask: who gets to lead it?

Wedu, a women’s leadership organisation in South and Southeast Asia, recently conducted a Climate Survey with our network of emerging leaders. We followed up with in-depth conversations with three women from across the region who work in research, community advocacy, and climate justice. Their reflections reveal a powerful yet often overlooked truth: women are ready to lead, but they need the right tools, recognition, and support to do so.

The knowledge gaps aren’t just deficits–they’re opportunities 

One of the clearest insights from the survey was the presence of knowledge gaps–not a lack of awareness, but a hunger to go deeper. Respondents expressed strong interest in better understanding areas such as:

• Climate policy, governance, and international negotiations like COP (Conference of the Parties)
• The intersection of gender, leadership, and climate change
• Technical knowledge, from meteorology to carbon markets
• Climate economics, risk modelling, and adaptation financing

For some, these gaps are personal.

“I’ve never really thought of climate change together with leadership,”

one respondent shared. For others, the issue is systemic:

“We require extensive climate modelling, but it’s mostly men involved in the tech and programming. Women can do it–but we’re not included.”

These are not just gaps in content; they are reflections of broader structural barriers. Another leader noted that women often possess deep experiential knowledge of environmental systems, especially in rural or Indigenous communities. Yet without formal credentials, their insights are dismissed as “stories” rather than recognised as “data”. This silent bias prevents their voices from shaping policy or innovation.

Democratising climate tech beyond access

When asked about climate tech, our respondents unanimously agreed: access is just the beginning. The deeper challenge is co-creation.

In many communities, women are handed technologies—solar panels, water filtration systems, early warning apps—as finished products. But as one respondent, working in environmental health, noted, “When women are involved in designing the tools themselves, adoption increases and the solutions are better.” She’s seen this first-hand with women co-developing WASH filters and salinity adaptation tools.

Climate tech must be designed with women, not simply deployed to them and grounded in local realities, not just Western models. As one leader put it,

“Most climate tech comes from the West. What would it look like to integrate Indigenous practices into our technology frameworks?”

Moreover, for women to enter climate tech as creators, not just consumers, they need equal footing in STEM. That includes technical education, mentoring, infrastructure such as stable internet access, and the dismantling of gendered power dynamics in innovation spaces.

Why a gender lens isn’t optional, it’s strategic

Applying a gender lens is more than moral–it’s practical. The impacts of climate change are not gender-neutral. From cyclones that interrupt girls’ education to droughts that increase the unpaid labour of women, the crisis amplifies existing inequities.

But the flip side is equally important: women are not just victims. They are often the first responders to climate impacts. They manage water, food, and energy at the household and community level. They know what’s working and what’s not.

One leader explained it this way:

“Applying a gender lens reframes women from passive recipients of aid to agents of transformation. We don’t need handouts; we need resources to solve problems ourselves.”

Another shared that integrating a gender lens helped her see the economic opportunity in climate work:

“STEM fields are pivotal for climate solutions, but they’re male-dominated. If we want a just transition, women need access to green jobs and green income.”

So what now? Bridging Capability, Capital, and Community

At Wedu, we believe that unleashing the power of women climate leaders requires more than training. It requires a holistic model that combines:

• Capability Development: Not just technical upskilling, but leadership development that equips women to influence systems and policies.
• Capital: Access to education financing and resources that allow women to continue learning, innovating, and leading.
• Community: A network of peer mentors, allies, and experts to build resilience, share strategies, and reduce isolation.

For example, our leadership journeys support women working on loss and damage in Nepal, renewable energy in Myanmar, and flood response in Bangladesh. Many are asking not just, “How do I survive this crisis?” but “How do I shape the solutions?”

That’s the shift we need: from women as beneficiaries of climate action to architects of it.

From Voice to Value: A call to the climate ecosystem

If you’re building climate tech, funding adaptation, designing policy, or investing in innovation, ask yourself:

Are women leaders from the Global South part of your design process, not just your impact metrics?

The answers from our community show us that the knowledge, insights, and commitment are already there. What’s missing is validation, visibility, and investment.

The question is no longer whether women are ready to lead. The question is: what will you do to support them?

Co-Authors:

Nandar Nwe: Candidate for Master of Engineering in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering at Mahidol University. 

Sadia Salim (Shaon): Community Development Officer, Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Health (3CEH) at the Asian University for Women (AUW).

Francine Pradez: Marketing and Communications Associate at Wedu, with a professional background in geology. She is committed to leveraging science communication to help build gender-just systems.

Rani Pramesti: Executive Director at Wedu, working at the intersection of gender equity, leadership, and climate resilience in South and Southeast Asia.

The original Wedu Climate Survey data was collated and synthesised by Sara Nisar, Wedu’s former Senior Manager, Programmes and Innovation. 

 www.weduglobal.org | @Wedu.Global