Quezon city: The Climate Change Commission (CCC) has underscored the critical need to empower girls and young women as leaders in climate action. During the Girls Summit 2025 session on Nov. 5, CCC Commissioner Rachel Anne Herrera discussed the impact of climate change on women and girls and outlined the Commission's gender-responsive initiatives. According to Philippines News Agency, Herrera highlighted that climate change disproportionately impacts women and girls, exacerbating existing inequalities and threatening their livelihoods, health, and safety. She emphasized the necessity of integrating gender considerations at every step of policy-making, from planning and financing to implementation, to ensure resilience efforts truly protect and empower every girl. Herrera described climate change as a 'threat multiplier,' which increases risks of gender-based violence, disrupts education, and places heavier burdens on girls. She outlined the CCC's comprehensive approach, which includes the use of sex-disaggr egated data in local climate plans and strengthened climate budgeting to track spending that benefits women and girls. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte also emphasized the importance of gender inclusivity in local government efforts. She detailed the Gender and Development Framework, which focuses on interventions addressing the full cycle of care, from education and health to social protection and recovery. Belmonte urged for greater youth involvement, encouraging girls to participate in decision-making bodies and lead community-based adaptation projects. Plan International Pilipinas Executive Director Pebbles Sanchez-Ogang reiterated the intersecting challenges that girls face, highlighting how young women must navigate obstacles that threaten their safety and limit their potential. The Girls Summit 2025, organized in partnership with the Quezon City Government and the Quezon City Gender and Development Council Office, celebrated the International Day of the Girl Child. The event concluded with the presenta tion of The Girls' Agenda, a list of priority rights and calls to action for government and private sector leaders.