AfDB Showcases Gender-Responsive Climate Finance at Africa Climate Summit
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has spotlighted gender-responsive climate finance at the Second Africa Climate Summit, convening high-level discussions on scaling solutions that empower women in Africa’s climate transition.
Held at the AfDB Pavilion in Addis Ababa’s International Convention Centre, the side event, “Scaling Up Gender-Responsive Climate and Energy Solutions: From Finance to Policy and Data,” highlighted the urgency of financing women-led climate businesses.
During the session, AfDB investment partner KawiSafi Ventures announced that 35% of its $90 million Fund II will be channelled to female-founded companies in the energy transition space. While hailing the move, Investment Manager Angela Muraguri stressed it was only a starting point in addressing systemic gender inequality, urging stronger partnerships to expand impact.
The Bank showcased its flagship Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) programme, as well as collaborations with the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), which are creating pathways for women-led enterprises and embedding gender-responsive reforms into policies. Partnerships with civil society organisations were also highlighted as critical for grassroots implementation.
Jemimah Njuki, AfDB’s Director of Gender, Women Empowerment and Civil Society, emphasised the need for inclusive action: “Women, particularly in rural areas, are bearing the brunt of climate shocks while often being excluded from decision-making, finance, and opportunities in the green economy. When women are empowered as leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs, our collective response to climate change becomes stronger.”
Other speakers included Noluthando Mthimkulu from South Africa’s National Business Initiative, Billo Denabo of Farm Africa, and representatives from CIF. Mehjabeen Alarakhia of UN Women moderated the panel.
Farah Outeldait of CIF noted the sector-wide benefits of inclusion: “When women are empowered in energy systems – as users, entrepreneurs or decision-makers – access improves, resilience grows, and communities thrive.”
The AfDB also positioned itself as a standard-setter for inclusive climate action, with Kidanua Gizaw, coordinator of its partnership with CIF, highlighting the Bank’s role as financier and knowledge broker: “Through the climate funds we partner with and implement, we are ensuring that women and youth are at the centre of Africa’s climate transition.”
Africa, among the most vulnerable regions to climate change, faces worsening inequalities from extreme weather, shifting rainfall, and declining agricultural productivity. The AfDB’s gender-responsive climate finance agenda aims to ensure women are no longer sidelined, but central to driving resilience and transformation.
