Mexico has spent more than two decades developing public policies that link ecological transition with women’s rights, aiming to reduce inequalities and strengthen women’s voices across sectors such as agriculture, energy, and financial services. Since 2002, the country has implemented a National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change, integrating gender equality and social justice considerations into climate policy. Institutions like the French Development Agency (AFD), present in Mexico for over 16 years, support this approach, emphasizing that climate action and gender equality are inseparable.
Climate impacts often exacerbate existing gender inequalities. In Latin America, women own only around 30% of agricultural land, and just 10% of women farmers have access to financing, limiting their ability to cope with droughts, hurricanes, or crop losses. Additionally, care responsibilities related to children, the elderly, and domestic work disproportionately fall on women, restricting their employment, income, and decision-making opportunities. Analyses by Gender Climate Tracker show that integrating gender considerations into climate policies improves resource access and the effectiveness of adaptation strategies. However, Mexico faces challenges such as limited data, institutional resistance, and insufficient budgets in fully implementing gender-responsive climate policies like the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Cooperation between government institutions and development partners aims to create a just and equitable transition. After Hurricane Otis, the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit worked to strengthen women’s financial capacity, particularly for those active in the informal sector. The Ministry of Energy and the Federal Electricity Commission have promoted women’s participation in renewable energy jobs and internal policies to reduce occupational stereotypes. In 2021, a technical assistance program with FIRA, Mexico’s main agricultural bank, facilitated women’s access to financial services, benefiting over 10,000 women through a social bond issuance dedicated to gender equality.
Women’s participation in climate decision-making remains a central priority. In November 2025, a meeting in Mexico City organized with SEMARNAT and UNDP brought together women defenders of territories to connect local experiences with national climate and gender policies. Participants shared initiatives to protect natural resources, adapt agricultural practices, and strengthen community resilience, echoing findings from the UNDP report Voces de mujeres desde los territorios.
In 2026, the bicentennial of diplomatic relations between France and Mexico presents an opportunity to consolidate this shared agenda and strengthen AFD’s role as a platform for dialogue between civil society and the state, further advancing the integration of gender equality into Mexico’s climate action policies.
