In the tourist hot spot of Zanzibar, 15 miles off the eastern coast of Tanzania, a community of farmers get some of the best fertilizer they’ve ever had from a growing company called Asili Fertilizer founded by Arafa Bakari. A farmer herself, Arafa knew that the quality of fertilizer directly impacts yield. She also knew that the hundreds of hotels on the island need to dispose of tons of organic waste each month. She is one of many young women “eco-preneurs” who see the intersection of business demand and climate-friendly opportunities.
Arafa's success is rooted in her access to skills and resources. Through a partnership called WasteX Lab housed at the University of Zanzibar, Arafa learned how to launch a circular business and solid waste management.
If we had more young women like Arafa – energetic, driven young women with access to economic inclusion and opportunities in the growing green economy – we could more effectively solve the climate crisis. With the green economy predicted to create 24 million jobs by 2030 according to a study from the International Labor Organization, it is important to ask: How are we preparing young people to do that? And who might be left behind?
The reality is that girls are most likely to be left behind in the green economy, despite being disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. The impact of climate change has the potential to push more girls out of school and affect their mental health, food security and livelihoods, placing them at greater risk of child marriage, violence and exploitation. At the same time, evidence shows that women leaders are effective in conservation and community resilience efforts. Yet women remain underrepresented in climate leadership, making up less than 25% of participants in climate forums and national and international environmental sectors.
We refer to this disparity as the climate girls’ gap and closing this gap requires three key strategies that center girls from the Global South.
First, the systems that children rely on – health, water, education – need to be able to withstand climate-driven disasters. For example, in cyclone-prone Mozambique, UNICEF and partners climate-proofed over 1,000 classrooms. When education systems are climate resilient, it ensures continuous learning for all children, especially girls. Further, climate-proofing offers significant return on investment: for every $1 invested in climate-resilient infrastructure, the emergency response saves an estimated $4 on post-disaster reconstruction costs, according to the United Nations Officer for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Second, education systems need to equip young people with 21st century skills, including digital and green skills, and give them access to climate action and platforms. Climate actions like recycling and cleaning beaches are good ways for youth to get involved—and something remarkable at scale. Even more impactful are leadership skills that help young people contribute to solving complex climate problems that get more challenging by the day. With the right training, girls from the Global South are future scientists, data analysts, CEOs, biologists, innovators, entrepreneurs and heads of state who will make discoveries, breakthroughs and hard decisions.
Third, foundational and green skills building efforts must reach girls and be tailored to them in order to ensure that the green economy includes women leaders in the coming decades. Often, when families are faced with the difficult choice of which children to send to school, boys are prioritized over girls. Moreover, over 80% of the new jobs in green industries will be in sectors that are currently male-dominated and heavily digitized. We’ve seen this before: When early computers emerged in the mid-1900’s, it was a female dominated space. As technology advanced, the internet emerged and computers became a pathway to lucrative companies and careers; men took over tech sector. According to US government statistics, more than one in four programmers were women in 1960 but by 1983-84, only 1% of students graduating in computer and information sciences were women. Today, three-quarters of leadership roles at technology companies are held by men.
Closing the climate girls’ gap is an uphill battle but emerging solutions offer hope.
In 2023, UNICEF supported governments in 57 countries across all 7 world regions to integrate climate, energy, green skills, environment, and/or disaster risk reduction into learning opportunities, with a focus on girls. This could impact millions of people. In Cote D'Ivoire, nearly 300 classrooms have been built using recycled plastic bricks to enhance environmental protection, coupled with improving access to essential water services using solar pumps in the northern areas most at risk from climate change. In Viet Nam, infrastructure upgrades in over a dozen schools brought climate-resilient technology and clean water to 20,000 people.
UNICEF’s Skills4Girls initiative brings together private sector partners like Chloé and Clé de Peau Beauté to reach over 10 million adolescent girls by 2025 with gender-transformative vocational and life skills like problem-solving, self-esteem, negotiation and teamwork. A multi-sectoral report elevates solutions that can inform policymakers, program developers, international development organizations, and funders seeking to promote green skills development for youth on the move for a just, green transition focused on imparting green skills to youth on the move.
Local solutions are and training are also essential in closing the climate girls’ gap. Initiatives like the WasteX Lab, which empowered Arafa Bakari to launch her eco-friendly business, is an illustration of the transformative power of equipping young women with the skills and resources they need to succeed in the green economy.
We need to involve girls across the world in the climate movement and we need to do so at scale. At most, 0.03% of all climate finance is spent on education right now. And there is little to no tracking on the gender-responsiveness of these investments. Moreover, only 2% of the national climate change strategies worldwide specifically mention girls. It’s not enough.
To support girls and women in becoming climate leaders requires dedication, advocacy, investment, and strong partnerships. Our future depends on it.