The panel, organised by the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications as part of COP31, addressed the participation of women and young people in decision-making processes to combat climate change, climate education, raising public awareness, and the development of inclusive climate policies.
The panel titled “From Awareness to Action: Empowering Women and Youth in Climate Leadership”, organised by the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, was held in Antalya on 11 November 2026 as part of COP31. The panel in Hall 3 of the Türkiye Pavilion in the Blue Zone examined the role of women and youth in the environmental, economic, and social impacts of climate change. Moderated by Jordan Morgan, Director of Programmes at Forward Thinking, the session explored the importance of the active participation of women and young people in the formulation and implementation of climate policies, drawing on experiences from different countries and examples of inclusive policies. Participants also shared proposals for strengthening cooperation among public institutions, non-governmental organisations, educational institutions and the private sector, improving climate literacy and enhancing the leadership capacities of women and young people in the field of climate action.
In his opening remarks, Jordan Morgan, Director of Programmes at Forward Thinking and moderator of the panel, highlighted that climate action comprises three stages: establishing commitments, translating these commitments into legislation, and implementing them to achieve tangible results. Stating that the success of climate policies should be measured not only by international commitments but also by the changes these commitments bring about in people's daily lives, Morgan emphasised that a fundamental question was who had a say in decision-making, legislative and implementation processes.
Sena Nur Çelik Kanat, Member of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye for İstanbul, emphasised the importance of translating global climate commitments into concrete and sustainable action within the framework of Türkiye's COP31 Presidency approach, “From Dialogue to Consensus, From Consensus to Action”. Noting that climate change threatens food and water security, particularly in West Asia, North Africa and Europe, Kanat stated that women and young people are among the groups most vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis. Identifying greater public awareness and the effective participation of women and young people in decision-making processes as key priorities for climate action, Kanat cited Türkiye's Zero Waste Movement, Green Homeland Programme, Climate Portal, Climate Ambassadors Programme and climate education initiatives as examples. She stated that barriers to women's participation in climate leadership should be removed, access to climate finance should be facilitated for women's cooperatives and youth initiatives, and equal opportunities should be ensured in the green economy. In her remarks concerning parliaments, she stressed the need to guarantee the participation of women's and youth organisations in climate policymaking, ensure that climate finance reaches local and inclusive initiatives, and conduct annual reviews of climate commitments. Kanat also emphasised the importance of incorporating the Antalya Action Protocol into national policies and ensuring that women and young people have an effective voice in climate-related decisions.
Dina Al-Bashir, Member of the House of Representatives of Jordan, outlined the reforms and implementations introduced in Jordan to increase the participation of women and young people in political and economic decision-making processes. Stating that representation of women and young people in decision-making mechanisms remained a priority despite regional crises and economic challenges, Al-Bashir noted that amendments had been made to electoral and political party legislation as part of the political reforms introduced in 2022. She explained that the new regulations required women and young people each to account for at least 20% of the founding membership of political parties, while electoral lists were required to include at least two women and one person under the age of 35. She reported that, following these reforms, 27 women served in the parliament elected in 2024, bringing women's representation to 20%. Noting that women's labour force participation in Jordan stood at 18% and that youth unemployment remained a significant challenge, Al-Bashir called for measures to encourage the employment of women and young people. She stressed that legislative reforms needed to be supported by cultural change and public awareness initiatives and highlighted the importance of ensuring that the voices of women and young people were also heard in processes relating to war and peace.
Dr Thuraya Al Sariri, Advisor to the President for Nature Conservation, Environment Authority of Oman, discussed the Sultanate of Oman's efforts to strengthen the role of women and young people in the environmental and energy sectors. Drawing attention to an integrated model of representation involving the public sector, private sector and non-governmental organisations, Al Sariri stated that diversified educational opportunities, policies supporting equal opportunities and the administrative responsibilities undertaken by women had contributed to progress in this area. She noted that Omani women and young people played active roles not only in implementing environmental protection measures, green energy strategies and climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives but also in decision-making mechanisms. Al Sariri emphasised that this inclusive approach was important for achieving the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 and the country's net-zero emissions target for 2050, adding that the representation showcased at international events and in the Oman Pavilion reflected the country's climate vision.
Shockat Adam, Member of the United Kingdom House of Commons, stated that the impacts of climate change on women and young people should be examined through concrete examples and that these groups should play an active role in formulating and implementing climate policies. Highlighting the adverse effects of the climate crisis, particularly on access to water, education, health and livelihoods, Adam examined the consequences of green transformation and automation for women's employment, drawing on the experience of the textile industry in Leicester, United Kingdom, and the example of Bangladesh. He stated that the loss of jobs among female workers despite the green transformation of textile factories in Bangladesh demonstrated the need to take gender equality into account in transformation policies. Adam also addressed the health and livelihood challenges faced by women working in tea cultivation in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh due to extreme heat and drew attention to the fact that women in Pakistan and African countries, despite making significant contributions to agricultural production, were often not recognised as farmers and were excluded from decision-making processes. As a positive example, he cited the contribution of disaster preparedness initiatives led by female volunteers in Bangladesh to reducing loss of life. Noting that young people were taking responsibility in the fight against climate change through legal initiatives, Adam emphasised that the participation of women and young people in decision-making mechanisms would benefit not only these groups but also society as a whole.
