Panama is creating its first national Gender Action Plan through a collaborative public process. The Ministry of Environment launched the co-creation effort this month, aiming to integrate gender equality into all national climate, biodiversity, and land restoration policies.
More than 100 people from public institutions, civil society, youth groups, the private sector, academia, and community organizations have participated in technical working sessions. Officials say the plan will address how environmental and climate impacts differ for people based on age, location, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
The plan forms a core part of Panama’s Nature Pledge, which seeks to unify the country’s environmental priorities. Its guiding principles include inclusive participation, equity, climate justice, and transparency. A key focus is applying an intersectionality lens to policy, ensuring multiple overlapping forms of discrimination are considered.
Linking Global Agreements to National Action
Panama’s negotiators recently connected this domestic process to major international forums. At the recent COP30 climate conference, officials discussed aligning the national plan with global gender frameworks.
Panama’s climate negotiator, Carol Simon, explained the country’s approach during a panel on gender and climate action. She stressed the need for inclusive policy built from the ground up.
“The progress achieved at COP30 on gender and climate sends a clear message about the need for inclusive and participatory climate action,” Simon said. [Translated from Spanish]
Simon added that Panama is actively adapting these global agreements into its national processes. The co-creation method, she argued, ensures the plan reflects diverse realities across the country’s territories.
She specifically highlighted the critical roles of women, youth, local communities, and environmental defenders. These groups are essential for building climate resilience and advancing environmental justice, Simon noted.
A Framework Built on Participation
The plan’s current draft is organized into thematic pillars now undergoing validation by the technical working table. This structure aims to consolidate a proposal that matches both national priorities and Panama’s international commitments.
Officials emphasized the connection between different United Nations frameworks. The national plan will draw from both the UNFCCC’s Gender Action Plan and the separate plan under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Panama’s position is that outcomes from COP30 provide relevant input for designing, implementing, and monitoring gender-focused public climate policies.
The participatory model seeks contributions from all of Panama’s varied landscapes and communities. This territorial perspective is fundamental, planners say, because gender gaps in environmental access and impact manifest differently in urban areas, rural provinces, and indigenous territories.
Co-creation workshops will continue for several more months. The next phase involves incorporating additional technical validations and sectoral feedback.
The final plan intends to serve as a practical tool for improving environmental governance. Its ultimate goal is promoting gender equality and sustainable development across the nation. Panama’s government expects to finalize and formally adopt the Gender Action Plan in 2026.