By Kenneth Marcos 
Under the hot Quezon City sun, young girls and women gathered to discuss a future they often face with uncertainty—one where climate change affects their homes, schools, and communities. The Girls Summit 2025 became a platform for voices that are too often overlooked.
From Quezon City, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) highlighted the urgent need to empower girls and young women as leaders in climate resilience. CCC Commissioner Rachel Anne Herrera, a key panelist during the summit session “Resilience in Crisis: Protecting and Empowering Girls,” stressed that climate change hits women and girls the hardest, deepening existing inequalities and threatening their health, safety, and livelihoods.
“Climate change does not affect everyone equally,” Herrera said. “Our policies must integrate gender at every step—from planning and budgeting to implementation—so we build resilience that truly protects and empowers every girl.”
She described climate change as a “threat multiplier,” noting that it can increase gender-based violence, disrupt education, and place heavier burdens on girls, especially in vulnerable communities. To address this, the CCC has introduced gender-responsive measures, including the mandatory use of sex-disaggregated data in local climate plans and climate budgeting that tracks spending benefiting women and girls.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte emphasized local efforts to promote gender inclusivity through the city’s Gender and Development Framework, which covers education, health, social protection, and disaster recovery.
Herrera also encouraged young women to take leadership roles in climate action. She urged them to participate in decision-making bodies, advocate for citizen science and early warning systems, and lead community-based adaptation projects. “Women and girls are not just beneficiaries; they are leaders and often the first responders in crises. We must open doors, fund seats, and let them co-design solutions,” she said.
The summit also highlighted the everyday challenges girls face, as noted by Plan International Pilipinas Executive Director Pebbles Sanchez-Ogang: “Young women across the country navigate risks that threaten their safety, silence their voices, and limit their potential.”
Organized by Plan International Pilipinas, in partnership with the Quezon City Government and the Quezon City Gender and Development Council, the event coincided with the International Day of the Girl Child. It concluded with the handover of The Girls’ Agenda, a list of priority rights and recommended actions for government and private sector leaders.
By integrating gender considerations into climate policies and encouraging girls’ leadership, the CCC and local partners aim to ensure that young women are not just protected from climate impacts—they are equipped to lead solutions in their communities.
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