In the words of Gaye Tuğrulöz: “Achieving climate justice is only possible when gender equality is at the core of every action”

Gaye Tuğrulöz is a youth activist and climate advocate working to advance gender equality and youth participation in climate action. Her journey in activism began at age nine, when she joined the nature group in the Children’s Senate organized by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. She is an active leader in the Social Climate Association, which mobilizes young people across Türkiye to engage in transformative climate action. She served as the spokesperson for “Gençliğin Yüzleri,” a youth initiative bringing forward youth-centered policy proposals during the past general and local elections. Gaye has also taken part to UN Women Türkiye’s civil society gatherings, contributing to discussions on gender equality and youth engagement in climate action. She continues to actively engage with UN Women to strengthen inclusive, youth-driven approaches in climate action and gender equality.

“As a child, I loved observing the environment and animals. But the moment I realized that nature was under threat, I began to ask myself, “What can I do?” That question led me to civic engagement, and eventually, to a deeper exploration of how the participation of children, youth, and women intersects with climate action. At Social Climate Association, we transformed those questions into concrete projects.

Through these projects, we discovered that climate justice cannot be achieved without gender justice. In every space we created to talk about climate, the underlying thread of gender inequality emerged. Climate change deepens existing inequalities, especially for women and girls. As a young woman working in the climate field, I see clearly how structural inequalities rooted in gender roles make women more vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis.

In moments of crisis, when access to water, food or energy becomes more difficult, women are often expected to take on the burden of securing these resources. In rural areas, their voices are largely absent from disaster response decisions, leaving their needs and experiences unaddressed. Girls, in particular, face compounded risks: poverty, limited access to education, and increased pressure for early marriage, all of which are worsened by climate-induced instability. Their participation in climate decision-making is often entirely overlooked.

That’s why gender equality must be a core component of climate solutions. Young women’s leadership is not symbolic; it’s essential. We are not only living the consequences of climate change, but we are also leading efforts to create more inclusive, resilient systems. Young women bring diverse perspectives, build bridges across communities, and offer dynamic, community-rooted responses to complex challenges.

Yet, we continue to face barriers. Gender inequality and underrepresentation in decision-making spaces remain significant obstacles. Too often, young women’s knowledge is dismissed, our leadership underestimated. I've experienced this personally when my ideas were only acknowledged after being repeated by a man, or when I was excluded from decisions because of my gender or age. Projects led by women tend to receive less funding, and young women are frequently labeled as “inexperienced” or “too emotional”, especially at the local level.

There’s also a widespread misconception that gender equality is only relevant in work explicitly focused on women’s rights. But gender must be considered across all sectors, especially in climate policy. We cannot design just and effective climate responses without understanding how different groups experience climate impacts. When gender is left out, entire communities are left behind.

Integrating gender equality into climate policy is no longer a choice; it is a necessity. Climate responses can only be fair, effective, and inclusive when the needs, experiences, and knowledge of different social groups are included in policy-making processes. A gender perspective allows us to treat climate action not only as a technical issue, but also as a matter of social justice.

We need gender and ecology-focused indicators, impact assessments that reflect lived experiences, equal representation in decision-making bodies, and budgets that prioritize both climate action and gender equality. Supporting young women in climate solutions requires more than visibility. It demands investment in their capacity, leadership, and presence at every level of governance. This includes scholarships, economic support, local women-led networks, and solidarity-based systems.

The more we are included, the more transformative, creative and just climate action becomes. We are determined to shape and lead that change.”