Empowering Women for Climate Action: Insights from Dr. Lê Thị Thu Hương
At the LeadHerShip Young Professional Summit 2025, held on October 11–12 in Ho Chi Minh City, Dr. Lê Thị Thu Hương, Lecturer at the Vietnamese-German University (VGU), delivered a powerful keynote titled “Climate Change, Cities, and Communities: Empowering Women for Climate Action.”
Her presentation shed light on how climate change is reshaping urban life — and why women must be at the center of building climate-resilient communities.

🌡️ Cities Under Climate Pressure
Dr. Hương began by highlighting the growing climate threats facing urban areas: stronger typhoons, prolonged droughts, flooding, and rising temperatures that intensify the urban heat island effect
She emphasized that climate change is not a distant concern:
“It is already reshaping how cities grow and survive.”
Urban infrastructure, health systems, and livelihoods are increasingly vulnerable — with the poorest, especially women and children, suffering the greatest impacts.
🏙️ Designing Resilient and Low-Carbon Cities
Dr. Hương underscored the dual need for mitigation and adaptation. She outlined urban and architectural responses such as:
- Compact, mixed-use development and transit-oriented planning;
- Green infrastructure (parks, trees, green roofs) to reduce heat and manage stormwater;
- Energy-efficient buildings using sustainable materials;
- Inclusive land-use planning and multi-level climate governance
According to her, integrating climate action into city planning is not optional — it is the foundation for long-term resilience and sustainability.
👩🌾 Women at the Heart of Climate Resilience
In the most compelling part of her presentation, Dr. Hương emphasized that “women are the backbone of community resilience.”
Citing data from UN Women, she noted that:
- Women produce 50–80% of food in developing countries;
- They are 14 times more likely to die in extreme weather disasters;
- Yet, they remain underrepresented in climate policy and decision-making
Women’s knowledge, daily resource management, and care responsibilities position them uniquely as environmental stewards and agents of change.
“When women lead in climate action, solutions become more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable.”
🌱 From Global Frameworks to Local Action
Dr. Hương concluded with a call to invest in women’s leadership as a driving force for climate resilience.
She shared inspiring examples from her community-based initiatives in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Mongolia, where local women led clean-up campaigns, urban greening, and water management projects
Her message resonated strongly with the Summit’s theme of empowering women and youth:
“It is time to invest in women as a strong force for change, leading the way to a more sustainable future.”
Dr. Lê Thị Thu Hương’s keynote reminded participants that achieving SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) requires more than technology — it requires inclusion, compassion, and the leadership of women at every level of society.