NEW YORK (March 14, 2026) – In a significant address before a United Nations assembly, Antigua and Barbuda’s Director of Gender Affairs Jamie Saunders presented a powerful argument for integrating gender equality objectives into climate financing mechanisms. Speaking at a side event during the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW80), Saunders emphasized that climate change impacts are not gender-neutral and require targeted financial solutions.
The high-level panel discussion, titled ‘Advancing Climate Justice through Gender-Responsive Climate Finance,’ provided a platform for Saunders to outline Antigua and Barbuda’s pioneering policies addressing the disproportionate effects of climate change on women. He specifically highlighted the vulnerabilities faced by rural women, single-parent households, and women working in informal economic sectors who encounter significant obstacles in accessing resources, financing, and decision-making processes.
Saunders detailed several innovative initiatives demonstrating Antigua and Barbuda’s leadership in climate justice. The country has formally integrated gender responsiveness into its climate governance framework and updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as official policy. These commitments prioritize increasing women-led businesses implementing renewable energy and climate adaptation solutions, supporting women’s economic recovery following extreme weather events, and promoting gender-responsive transitions in traditionally male-dominated sectors like energy and construction.
A cornerstone initiative highlighted was the Sustainable Island Resource Framework Fund (SIRF Fund), established under the Environmental Protection and Management Act (2019) and administered by the Department of Environment. Through its blended finance window, the fund specifically expands access to climate-related investments for women-led enterprises, ensuring women participate not merely as beneficiaries but as active drivers of climate solutions.
Meanwhile, Minister of State Shenella Govia described Antigua and Barbuda’s participation in CSW80 as profoundly moving and rewarding. She emphasized the importance of international collaboration in sharing progress and developing collective solutions to accelerate gender equality advancements worldwide. The delegation, which included Minister of Social and Urban Transformation Rawdon Turner and other senior officials, actively contributed to discussions that will inform and strengthen national policies and initiatives moving forward.