Belem, Brazil – The delegation representing Somalia at COP30 is stepping onto the global stage with renewed determination, and at the heart of the effort is Fadumo Abdilahi, who is leading the country’s gender thematic agenda. Her role has placed Somali women—often the first to bear the brunt of climate shocks—firmly at the center of international climate negotiations.

For years, recurring droughts, flooding, and displacement have pushed Somali families to the edge, but women have carried a disproportionate share of the burden. Many walk long distances for water, rebuild homes after every disaster, and keep their families afloat despite limited access to resources or decision-making spaces. Abdilahi is using this moment to make sure those lived realities shape global climate policies.

Her work at COP30 focuses on securing stronger protections and opportunities for Somali women as the Gender Action Plan moves toward adoption. The plan is expected to create wider pathways for women’s leadership, resilience-building programs, and gender-responsive climate financing—areas where Somali women have long been overlooked.

Through negotiations and targeted bilateral discussions, Abdilahi is sharing the stories of women uprooted by drought, young girls kept from school during crises, and female entrepreneurs struggling to access funds that could help their communities adapt. She is also pushing for systems that ensure women have a real seat at the table when climate decisions are made, both internationally and back home.

Somalia’s message in these halls is unwavering: climate action that ignores women is incomplete. As COP30 progresses, the work led by Abdilahi offers a rare moment of hope—a chance to turn global commitments into meaningful change for women and girls across Somalia.