The issue climate change is increasingly a main topic in international meetings and programmes. Women’s organisation take the opportunity to call attention to gender perspectives in climate change. Often they attract more attention and find more like minded delegates here than during busy UNFCCC negotiations. Additionally, these meetings may serve as a door opener for gender dimensions, because of the broader approaches they take.

52nd session CSW, February/March 2008

On 28 February, "Gender perspectives on climate change" were considered as emerging issue for the CSW. An expert panel consisting of five gender experts, among them Minu Hemmati for the gendercc network, Anna Pinto and Rachel Nampinga, both gendercc activist, and Lorena Aguilar, IUCN, illustrated the interrelatedness of gender issues and climate change policies. The panelists contributions were followed by government statements and questions from over 20 Member States.

A side event of the CSW was addressing the gender aspects of financing adaptation to climate change.

10th Special Session of the UNEP Governing Council in Monaco, February 2008

Side event "Financing climate change from a gender and rights perspective" and meeting of the Women Ministers and Leaders for the Environment Network, co-hosted by UNEP and Women in Europe for a Common Future (WECF).

UN Secretary-General’s High Level Climate Change Event, September 2007

A High-level Roundtable "How a changing climate impact women" was co-hosted by the Council of Women World Leaders, Women’s Environment and Development Organisation (WEDO) and Heinrich-Boell-Foundation Washington.

CSD 14 and 15, 2006 and 2007:

The 14th and 15th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development was dealing with energy for sustainable development, climate change, atmosphere/air pollution, and industrial development.

The Review Year (2006, CSD14) evaluated progress made in implementing sustainable development goals and identified obstacles and constraints, while the Policy Year (2007, CSD15) should have decided on measures to speed up implementation and mobilize action to overcome these obstacles and constraints. Gender equality was one of 12 cross cutting issues, to be taken into consideration any time.

More information on activities and outcomes

UNEP: Women as a Voice for the Environment (WAVE), October 2004

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) hosted the first Global Women’s Assembly on Environment: Women as the Voice for the Environment (WAVE) from 11-13 October 2004, in Nairobi, Kenya. Over 150 participants from 60 countries attended the Assembly.

One of the working groups focused on climate change. Parallel and joint meetings of the Assembly were held with the Network of Women Ministers for the Environment meeting. The WAVE Assembly accepted a Manifesto, which included recommendations from the working groups.