EmPower National Forum 2026: Strengthening Climate Finance Access for Women
The climate crisis is not merely an environmental threat but a tangible economic challenge, particularly for women. Recognising this, KUMPUL, in collaboration with UN Women and PT Permodalan Nasional Madani (PNM), organised the EmPower National Forum 2026: Scaling-Up Women’s Access to Finance for Climate Action on Saturday (23/5).
This national forum brought together over 100 stakeholders, including government officials, financial institutions, development organisations, and women’s entrepreneurship communities. The primary focus was to expand access to climate finance for women-owned businesses and to share successful implementations of community-based climate action in Indonesia.
Data indicates that women play a crucial role in food security and the economy. However, they remain constrained by unequal access to resources, a situation that risks worsening due to climate change. Dwi Yuliawati, Head of Programmes at UN Women Indonesia, emphasised that empowering women is the most efficient strategy for economic resilience. “If women gain greater control over productive resources, the impact will be far broader. This is clear evidence that gender equality is the key to resilience,” she stated.
The forum is part of the EmPower: Women for Climate-Resable Societies Programme (Phase II). This global initiative by UN Women and UNEP is supported by the governments of New Zealand, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland to strengthen gender-responsive climate action across the Asia-Pacific. In Indonesia, the programme has demonstrated tangible results through collaborations with PNM and KUMPUL. Having launched in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) in 2025, the programme expanded to West Java and East Java in early 2026.
Razaq Manan Ahmad, EVP of Development Service Management at PNM, revealed that climate change has made the incomes of female clients increasingly unpredictable. “PNM is beginning to promote financial services that are more responsive to climate risks, ensuring that women entrepreneurs possess the knowledge and adaptation technologies to become more resilient,” he explained.
Similarly, Faye Wongso, Founder and Chairperson of KUMPUL, emphasised the importance of viewing women as leaders of adaptation rather than merely beneficiaries. Through this forum, stakeholders hope to create effective de-risking mechanisms to scale green business solutions from a small scale to a national level. Participants at the EmPower National Forum 2026 committed to driving a financing ecosystem that is not only economically inclusive but also responsive to future climate challenges.