Women are one of the groups which are disproportionately affected by climate change in developing countries, especially in relation to culturally prescribed roles related to water management. Women are however, often un-represented in decision-making related to climate change. This article describes initiatives which promoted women’s participation through south-north partnerships in urban areas of Brazil, Canada, Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa. The article begins by outlining how poverty and gendered inequalities are not only overlooked in environmental policies, but affect participation in their formulation itself. It highlights the crucial role of grassroots civil society in addressing these inequalities and promoting climate justice. The Sister’s Watershed Project, linked universities in Toronto, Canada and Sao Paulo, Brazil, to address the lack of female participation in watershed policies through education and training of a variety of grassroots stakeholders. The second project, which dealt with climate change adaptation in three Africa cities – Durban, Nairobi and Maputo – focussed on strengthening the role of civil society to characterise and influence the institutional framework for urban water governance. The authors argue that women’s knowledge of local water conditions is incomparable and must be shared and incorporated into local, national and international decision-making and processes, in order for climate change responses to be just.