Abstract
Measures to address climate change must acknowledge gendered and other social vulnerabilities, with gender mainstreaming representing a proactive approach in the policy arena. This chapter investigates the extent gender has been included in climate change policies of Belize, Guatemala, and Panama through three lenses: gender mainstreaming and gender equality; intersectionality and vulnerable populations; and the collection of sex-disaggregated data. While each country considers gender to different extents in their climate change policies, none demonstrate a substantive level of gender mainstreaming and inconsistencies and gaps exist within and across the countries. The policies make strides forward yet fall short in terms of affecting systemic, structural, and redistributive change. Finally, several pathways forward and recommendations are offered to assist decision and policymakers, including confronting the underlying causes of social vulnerabilities, recognizing the capacity that women possess, and adopting an intersectional lens.