Gender inclusion in Climate Evaluation: Reflections and insights from evaluation visits and studies
Panel Discussion | Online
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Organized by:
Independent Evaluation Unit of the GCF
About the Event
What does real gender inclusion look like in climate evaluation—and how can it drive not just resilience, but justice?
This session dives into the lived realities behind climate data, exploring how women's leadership on the ground is reshaping adaptation strategies and unlocking more equitable outcomes. Aligned with the GLocal Evaluation Week 2025 theme “Environmental Sustainability, Inclusion, and Peace,” it showcases evidence and insights from the Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), one of the world’s largest climate finance institutions.
Led by Yeonji Kim, Evaluation and Uptake Specialist at the IEU, the session draws from her country visits to Tajikistan and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). These case studies highlight how women’s participation—in climate-resilient agriculture, water management, and advocacy for nuclear justice—has translated into stronger community outcomes and more inclusive climate solutions.
Yeonji will be joined by Susumu Yoshida, Evaluation Specialist and the IEU’s lead on impact evaluations, who will offer additional reflections from the Unit’s ongoing work on gender and empowerment across diverse contexts.
The session will also raise timely, critical questions, such as:
How can we ensure gender equity considerations in evaluation interviews and data collection activities, especially in different country and cultural contexts (where gender norms may be very different), despite the various challenges including time and resource constraints?
Gender considerations beyond gender-disaggregated data and numbers:
For GCF projects and investments, it is essential for the entities to report on the number of male and female beneficiaries and participants who accessed certain training and other capacity-building activities. However, this data alone does not convey what outcomes and results have been achieved in the context of gender equity and women empowerment. How can these gaps be addressed?
In Tajikistan, some GCF projects exceeded on gender targets. But I observed that while women in these communities now enjoy clean and safe water and more food surplus (e.g. dried fruit from the solar powered food dryer), these have not translated into income generating activities for women.
In RMI, the small island country struggles with finding local experts in gender and even with attempting to find and bring an international expert to the country to comply with the gender requirements of GCF projects.
Linking gender inclusion/women empowerment with the debate around decolonizing aid:
Could it be that local communities/beneficiaries would define ‘gender equity’ and ‘women empowerment’ differently than the international organizations/MDBs/donors do? For instance, would ‘decision-making’ be an important indicator for women empowerment in different local contexts?
What would be good indicators/outcomes for strengthened gender equity and women empowerment that are measurable within a reasonable time span?
Grounded in real-world evaluation experience, this session will also integrate insights from broader IEU studies and impact evaluations. Interactive elements—including live polls and a Q&A—will ensure an engaging space for discussion, learning, and reflection.
This session dives into the lived realities behind climate data, exploring how women's leadership on the ground is reshaping adaptation strategies and unlocking more equitable outcomes. Aligned with the GLocal Evaluation Week 2025 theme “Environmental Sustainability, Inclusion, and Peace,” it showcases evidence and insights from the Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), one of the world’s largest climate finance institutions.
Led by Yeonji Kim, Evaluation and Uptake Specialist at the IEU, the session draws from her country visits to Tajikistan and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). These case studies highlight how women’s participation—in climate-resilient agriculture, water management, and advocacy for nuclear justice—has translated into stronger community outcomes and more inclusive climate solutions.
Yeonji will be joined by Susumu Yoshida, Evaluation Specialist and the IEU’s lead on impact evaluations, who will offer additional reflections from the Unit’s ongoing work on gender and empowerment across diverse contexts.
The session will also raise timely, critical questions, such as:
How can we ensure gender equity considerations in evaluation interviews and data collection activities, especially in different country and cultural contexts (where gender norms may be very different), despite the various challenges including time and resource constraints?
Gender considerations beyond gender-disaggregated data and numbers:
For GCF projects and investments, it is essential for the entities to report on the number of male and female beneficiaries and participants who accessed certain training and other capacity-building activities. However, this data alone does not convey what outcomes and results have been achieved in the context of gender equity and women empowerment. How can these gaps be addressed?
In Tajikistan, some GCF projects exceeded on gender targets. But I observed that while women in these communities now enjoy clean and safe water and more food surplus (e.g. dried fruit from the solar powered food dryer), these have not translated into income generating activities for women.
In RMI, the small island country struggles with finding local experts in gender and even with attempting to find and bring an international expert to the country to comply with the gender requirements of GCF projects.
Linking gender inclusion/women empowerment with the debate around decolonizing aid:
Could it be that local communities/beneficiaries would define ‘gender equity’ and ‘women empowerment’ differently than the international organizations/MDBs/donors do? For instance, would ‘decision-making’ be an important indicator for women empowerment in different local contexts?
What would be good indicators/outcomes for strengthened gender equity and women empowerment that are measurable within a reasonable time span?
Grounded in real-world evaluation experience, this session will also integrate insights from broader IEU studies and impact evaluations. Interactive elements—including live polls and a Q&A—will ensure an engaging space for discussion, learning, and reflection.
Speakers
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Yeonji Kim | Evaluation and Uptake Specialist, GCF independent evaluation unit | Yeonji Kim is IEU’s Evaluation Uptake Specialist at GCF. With 13+ years in climate evaluation, communications, and policy, she leads uptake work and has conducted multiple evaluations. She previously worked at UNFCCC, IFC, UNESCAP, and as a journalist at Arirang TV. |
| Susumu Yoshida | Evaluation Specialist, GCF independent evaluation unit | Susumu is an Evaluation Specialist at the IEU. He manages and implements the IEU's Learning-Oriented Real-Time Impact Assessment (LORTA) program. He has more than 15 years of international experience in development research and operations. Prior to the IEU, he worked at the World Bank’s Development Impact Evaluation (DIME) as an Operations Officer. He holds a Master in Business Administration and Diploma de Estudios Avanzados in Economics from Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. |
Moderators
| Name | Title | Biography |
|---|---|---|
| Yeonji Kim | Evaluation and Uptake Specialist, GCF independent evaluation unit | Yeonji Kim is IEU’s Evaluation Uptake Specialist at GCF. With 13+ years in climate evaluation, communications, and policy, she leads uptake work and has conducted multiple evaluations. She previously worked at UNFCCC, IFC, UNESCAP, and as a journalist at Arirang TV. |