NEW YORK, 14th March, 2026…Director of the Directorate of Gender Affairs Jamie Saunders has delivered a compelling case before a United Nations meeting for gender equality to be fully aligned with the ambitions of climate finance.
Saunders is a senior member of the delegation that represented Antigua and Barbuda at the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). As countries like Small Island Developing States (SIDS) especially, push for greater ambition on climate finance, Saunders stressed that climate change is not gender neutral.
He made the point during a side event featuring a prestigious panel of speakers on Advancing Climate Justice through Gender-Responsive Climate Finance. He used the opportunity to outline the government’s policy on this very issue and shared his views on how inclusive climate financing can serve as a powerful tool in advancing gender equality.
“Women—particularly rural women, single-parent households, and women in informal economic sectors—often experience disproportionate impacts and face greater barriers in accessing resources, financing, and decision-making,” he pointed out.
Citing a broad range of examples as to what needs to be done, he pointed to the standout initiatives where Antigua and Barbuda is demonstrating leadership in advancing climate justice through the principle of gender-responsible climate finance.
He stated gender responsiveness is integrated into the country’s climate governance architecture and its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as a matter of policy. This means that a number of goals are prioritized to include increasing the number of women-led businesses implementing renewable energy and climate adaptation solutions, supporting women’s economic recovery following extreme weather events, and promoting a gender-responsive transition in traditionally male-dominated sectors such as energy and construction.
He cited the adoption of the Sustainable Island Resource Framework Fund (SIRF Fund), established through the country’s Environmental Protection and Management Act (2019) and administered by the Department of Environment of Antigua and Barbuda as another relevant example.
“Through mechanisms such as its blended finance window, the fund helps expand access to climate-related investment for women-led businesses and enterprises, ensuring women are not only beneficiaries but also drivers of climate solutions,” Saunders explained.
While contributing to the discussions, Saunders further detailed other initiatives that he said were advancing gender-responsive climate action in strengthening community resilience, support women’s leadership in agriculture and climate adaptation, and expand training and outreach across vulnerable communities.
Meantime, Minister of State in the Ministry of Works and Housing and Leader of Government Business in the Senate, the Hon. Shenella Govia, described her participation in CSW80 as a truly moving and rewarding experience. She noted it was important for Antigua and Barbuda to stand alongside other nations in sharing progress and collectively seeking solutions to accelerate the advancement of gender equality.
“This only reinforces the importance of working together to advance gender equality for women and girls everywhere. I am especially proud of our delegation whose active participation in the discussions will help inform and strengthen our policies and initiatives in Antigua and Barbuda.”
The other members of the delegation that participated in the conference were Minister of Social and Urban Transformation the Hon. Rawdon Turner, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social and Urban Transformation Sarah Stuart, Project Officer of the Directorate of Gender Affairs Ashlea Ambris.