There are many reasons why this first Global Women’s Environment Assembly, a collaborative space that the Women’s Major Group to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP WMG) has co-organized with SEI Africa, matters. First of all, it gives women a chance to shape the discussions happening at UNEA-7 from the start, rather than trying to influence decisions after they have already been taken. By meeting ahead of UNEA-7, which will take place in the second week of December, women’s organizations, women leaders, grassroots and youth movements, and women researchers can set priorities, share solutions and strategically push for environmental action that recognises both the knowledge and expertise that women and girls bring, and the inequalities they confront.

Having the assembly in Nairobi adds yet another important layer, as it brings this process to the heart of multilateral environmental governance – the UNEP headquarters is here – and closer to places where environmental challenges such as droughts, floods, pollution and ecosystem loss are already dramatically reshaping the daily lives of many people. This is a critical aspect, as it reminds us that environmental decision-making is not abstract policy. It is about people, about land, livelihoods and futures that matter for us all.

Despite growing recognition of gender in environmental governance, women’s voices and perspectives remain significantly under-represented in key areas of global negotiations. Through its Gender Equality, Social Equity and Poverty (GESEP) program, SEI has shown that environmental and climate change, as well as policy, affect men and women in different ways depending on their gender identity, social position, economic status, age, ethnicity, livelihood and legal status. This means that a “one-size-fits-all” approach to climate, biodiversity or pollution issues risks leaving many behind, particularly women and the most marginalised.

What this reveals – and why we cannot reduce the problem to a single issue – is that when women’s perspectives, which are shaped by their different roles, vulnerabilities, knowledge and priorities, are under-represented or absent, global negotiations risk producing policies and solutions that are blind to inequality. In doing so, they may reinforce and perpetuate existing injustices rather than transforming them.

It is important to highlight that the assembly will not happen in isolation. The event follows a month-long cycle of online sessions for capacity strengthening, learning and knowledge-sharing, and SEI researchers and experts have been active in supporting this process. This means that women participants will arrive at the WEA in Nairobi informed, connected and ready to engage.

Moreover, the assembly brings together women scientists, policy experts, youth representatives, grassroots organizers and community champions from around the world, all with diverse experiences and expertise. This will further expand participants’ knowledge base and strengthen their confidence in using research, evidence and collaboration to influence negotiations and to support environmental governance beyond UNEA-7. The WEA will empower women to take on a stronger leadership role at UNEA-7 through the skills in evidence-based advocacy that they have acquired, and by fostering connections and amplifying diverse voices.

SEI’s GESEP-informed research, which I mentioned earlier, highlights how chemical and air pollution, waste exposure and social inequities such as poverty, marginalization and lack of voice are deeply interconnected. Women in situations of vulnerability – for example, women with low income, working in informal sectors or with limited access to healthcare – are among the least able to avoid exposure. This intersectionality also clearly shows that harm does not arise from a single source. Instead, chemical risks, waste, water and air pollution, and structural inequalities combine and amplify each other, creating cumulative and compounding impacts that disproportionately affect women’s health, livelihoods and wellbeing.

When exposure is lifelong or intergenerational, the stakes for women and future generations are even higher. It is therefore paramount that we address these intersecting risks now, through research-informed policy and action that places justice at its core. As researchers, we can support this by collecting and providing sex- and gender-disaggregated data to identify and protect vulnerable populations; by promoting inclusive and participatory processes to inform governance that positions women and marginalised communities as leaders and decision-makers; and by ensuring that solutions integrate environmental health, social equity and gender justice simultaneously, rather than in isolation.

Looking ahead to this important event, one concrete outcome that we hope participants will take away from the assembly is a commitment to grounding advocacy and decision-making in strong scientific evidence. As researchers, we see how data and evidence, when paired with lived experience and context-based knowledge, can strengthen policy arguments, inform priorities and make climate action more effective, inclusive and equitable.