Pacific Gender Inclusion Report Has Been Published
New research highlights barriers to women's leadership in Pacific water and climate governance.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Women’s Issues
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Should local grassroots groups have more direct influence on local climate and water policy?
A recently published report explores gender-based exclusion in Pacific water decision-making, drawing on insights from advocates and practitioners across 24 countries. The study identifies significant gaps in representation despite the urgent need for gender-responsive climate policies.
Why it matters
While Pacific Island nations contribute less than 0.03 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, local women remain largely excluded from critical climate and water governance meetings. This exclusion hinders the integration of essential grassroots knowledge into environmental policy.
The study surveyed 38 practitioners across 24 Pacific territories, with 79 percent stating that exclusion from decision-making requires more attention in global debates. Additionally, 59 percent of respondents identified gender-responsive financing as an urgent need.
The players
Pacific Island nations
These countries and territories are on the front lines of climate change impacts despite contributing a negligible fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The details
Researchers conducted interviews with eight advocates from Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea to develop the report, titled Rising Tides, Rising Voices: Building a Pacific Movement for Gender Justice, Climate and Water. The findings reveal that women often hold vital knowledge regarding household water needs but struggle to exert influence over government and private sector climate finance.
Timeline
The Pacific Women's Triennial outcome statement was agreed in 2024.
Data collection for the research report occurred in late 2025 and early 2026.
Pre-COP31 meetings are scheduled for October 2026 in Fiji and Tuvalu.
Culture Shift
This research follows a growing push for institutional change that aligns with the 2024 Pacific Women's Triennial outcome statement. The report acts as an evidence-based extension of these prior policy commitments by detailing the specific nature of current gender-based governance gaps.
The report highlights that the exclusion of women from governance directly impacts the effectiveness of water management for local households. For readers, understanding these dynamics provides insight into the practical barriers facing grassroots organizations as they seek to influence regional climate finance.
The takeaway
Empowering women in climate governance is essential for leveraging local knowledge to solve water scarcity issues. Implementing gender-responsive financing and leadership initiatives will be critical to overcoming the systemic exclusion currently reported in Pacific policy circles.
What happens next
Advocates are expected to present these findings during the pre-COP31 meetings scheduled to take place in Fiji and Tuvalu in October 2026.
Further reading
Learn more about ongoing advocacy and systemic equity efforts in the Women’s Issues section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by SolomonTimes.
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Should local grassroots groups have more direct influence on local climate and water policy?
