When the UN Women flagship report Progress of the World’s Women 2026: Gender Equality in the Age of Climate Crisis launches at COP31 on 10 November, one question will matter beyond climate negotiations: how can women’s work and livelihoods be protected while new climate-economy opportunities are created?
UN Women’s advance advisory says the report examines how climate change affects women’s safety, health, work and livelihoods, and calls for a transition that is both green and fair. The full report is scheduled for release tomorrow; its detailed findings are not yet available. But the business case for including women entrepreneurs is already visible in existing guidance and in initiatives closer to home.
Women’s enterprises are part of the climate economy
A 2024 opportunities-framing paper from the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) makes an important distinction. Women entrepreneurs can lead businesses that help deliver climate solutions, while women-led small and medium enterprises across other sectors also need help to withstand climate shocks. The paper points to areas such as energy services, circular-economy businesses and food systems. It is guidance for designing support, not a new impact study promising that every such venture will succeed.
We-Fi describes a combination of pressures: some women-owned firms are concentrated in climate-exposed activities; owners may face extra barriers to finance, technology, information and supportive policy; and they may also carry household responsibilities during climate disruptions. The response, the paper argues, should be tailored to different businesses rather than treating all women entrepreneurs as one group.
That approach changes the practical questions. A food processor may need reliable storage and transport as much as a business loan. A home-based producer may need digital market access, affordable energy or a safe place to sell. A climate-tech founder may need technical advice and access to buyers. Resilience is not a single product; it is the mix of resources that lets a business continue operating and reach customers when conditions change.
Chitral offers a market-access example
AKRSP’s published account reports that, by 2025, 30 women-only markets had been established or upgraded across Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, including four in Chitral: three in Upper Chitral and one in Lower Chitral. The same account reports more than 500 women-led shops across the network. It describes practical features such as security, electricity, flexible rents and locations near community facilities.
These markets should not be labelled climate-adaptation projects on that evidence alone. They show a different but connected point: women need usable routes to customers and places where they can run businesses. If market access is combined with climate-informed planning—for example, protecting stock, maintaining essential power and preparing for disruptions to supply routes—it can become one part of a more resilient local enterprise ecosystem.
A separate example is AKRSP’s RENEW project, which covers Chitral, Gilgit-Baltistan, Thatta and Badin. Its stated aims include climate resilience and recovery of livelihoods, agriculture and food security, with a strong focus on women and girls. AKRSP lists enterprise development, vocational training and youth entrepreneurship among its activities. The project is not an announcement of a new application window or grant for individual businesses.
What business support should look like
For founders, a useful first step is to map the disruptions that could stop sales: unreliable power, interruptions to supplies, damaged stock, transport delays or sudden changes in customer demand. The next question is which low-cost change would protect revenue, and what outside support—finance, training, equipment, technology or a stronger route to market—would make it possible.
For policymakers and business-support organizations, the lesson is to design climate programs with women entrepreneurs, not only for them. That means asking what different firms actually need, measuring who receives support and checking whether it improves business continuity or access to buyers. As COP31 turns attention to gender and climate, Pakistan’s mountain communities can be part of that discussion: local women already trade and build enterprises, and resilience planning should treat them as economic actors as well as people facing climate risk.
Sources
- UN Women: Launch of “Progress of the World’s Women 2026” at COP31
- Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative: Women Climate Entrepreneurs white paper
- We-Fi: Women Climate Entrepreneurs—The Face of a Livable Planet (PDF)
- AKRSP: From Invisible to Indispensable—women-only markets in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral
- AKRSP: Recovery and Climate Resilience in Flood-Affected Areas of Pakistan (RENEW)
- Global Affairs Canada: Project profile—Flood recovery and climate resilience in Pakistan
Muhammad Nayab Khan is a seasoned Freelance Journalist, Media Professional, and Enterprise Development expert based in Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Holding an MBA in Finance from Punjab University, he brings a unique economic and digital perspective to media storytelling, corporate branding, and regional development. He maintains active professional affiliations with Qashqar TV (First PEMRA Licensed WebTV in Chitral) and Chitral Express (Chitral’s Largest News Network), where he contributes high-impact digital content, editorial visuals, and comprehensive coverage of regional socio-economic issues. As a multi-faceted entrepreneur and media creator, Nayab combines sharp investigative insight with advanced visual communication to highlight local narratives on regional and national platforms.
