thuyntt@ueh.edu.vn / kathynguyen3110@gmail.com

Why Gender Equality is the Missing Link in Climate Resilience

1. The Overlooked Connection

In coastal Vietnam, women are often the first to feel the impacts of climate change — saltwater intrusion, crop failure, and economic instability.
Yet, they remain underrepresented in decision-making about land, water, and resource management.

2. The Women4Mangrove Approach

Women4Mangrove bridges that gap by combining science, policy, and gender inclusion:

  • Education & Leadership: Training women to become community ecopreneurs and conservation trainers.

  • Economic Empowerment: Developing regenerative livelihoods, such as Sonneratia blossom tea and eco-homestays.

  • Cultural Integration: Preserving Khmer-Vietnamese traditions alongside environmental restoration.

3. Why It Matters

When women are involved, conservation outcomes improve — biodiversity increases, community resilience strengthens, and local economies stabilize.
This is not theory; it’s been proven across global studies and lived realities in Cu Lao Dung.

4. A New Model for Southeast Asia

The Women4Mangrove initiative is now serving as a living model of gender-responsive climate action, inspiring similar programs across the Mekong Delta and beyond.

“Equality is not just a social goal — it’s an ecological necessity.”