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GenderCC Newsletter

September 2019

Dear readers,
The climate and ecological emergency is getting to levels never seen in earth’s history. The wildfires in the Amazon region, in the rainforests of Indonesia, Africa and even in the Siberian Arctic are the expression of the ongoing destruction of our Planet and the uncontrollable consequences.


But there is also hope. People are refusing to give up and are coming together to fight climate injustices. Last week, we were part of the biggest worldwide climate justice mobilisation ever seen: the Global Climate Strike called by Fridays for Future. The protests happened all over the world and showed the capacity of people to mobilise and demand action on the climate crisis. But not only civil society is acting. Governments met this week at the UN Climate Action Summit, where countries discussed how to raise ambitions to address the climate crisis. The aim is to strengthen the efforts to implement the Paris Agreement.


This newsletter presents our engagement at the Global Climate Strike as well as our outreach activities and the latest news from our projects. It will also update you on the newest developments at the UNFCCC process on gender-related issues.


We hope you enjoy this issue!


Kind regards,
the GenderCC Secretariat team

Content

News from GenderCC

    • GenderCC at the Global Climate Strike on September 20th in Berlin
    • Gender Into Urban Climate Change Initiative
    • Not without us! Climate justice and gender justice in international climate politics
    • Our outreach activities

     

    Gender @ UNFCCC

    • Outcomes of SB50
    • Alternative civil society spaces during COP25

       

      Activities of the Gender and Climate Change Community

      • Webinar on Gender and Mobility in Latin America
      • Meeting on the impacts of climate change on the life of women in Uvira, DR Congo
      • Feminists acting on the Amazon fires

       

      News on Gender and Climate Change

        • FRIDA Climate and Environmental Justice Fellowship announced
        • Open course on Gender Responsive Governance
        • Summary of the Human Rights Council Panel Discussion on Women's Rights and Climate Change
        • Applications for the Global Governance Futures Fellowship open
        • Applications for the Marielle France Programme on the Acceleration of Black Women's Leadership

         

        Who is Who at GenderCC

        • Say hi and bye to our intern Sara
        • Meet our twinner from the Yunnan Green Development Environment Foundation!

         

        Publications

         

        Calendar of Events

        Imprint

         
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        News from GenderCC

        GenderCC Secretariat at the Global Climate Strike on September 20th in Berlin

        The GenderCC Secretariat co-organised the feminist bloc at the climate strike in Berlin on September 20th. The organisers counted up to 270.000 participants joining the strike in Berlin, 1.4. Million in the more than 500 communities in Germany where climate strikes were organised.  Millions of people supported it worldwide.

        In Berlin the strike happened on the same day that a German government decision on climate policy was expected. The so-called ‘cornerstones for a climate protection programme 2030’ were in many ways a disappointment for scientists, environmental NGOs and activists. The German government aims, for example, to introduce a carbon pricing system, but fails to set a proper price. While the current price for 1 ton of CO2 is between 20 and 30 EUR, and, according to climate scientists, the starting price for a new system should be some 50 EUR, the German government will start with only 10 EUR per ton for the sectors buildings and transport. This will result in a 3 cent per Litre increase of the fuel price, while at the same time the subsidy for commuters using their private cars was raised by 5 cent, a clear incentive to use private cars instead of public transport. Climate activists and NGOs were hugely disappointed by the outcome of the negotiations and distanced themselves from the government’s claims that this policy package would help to reach the ambitious goal of reducing carbon emissions by 55% compared to 1990 by 2030. And we doubt that it makes sense to integrate gender into climate change policy that completely lack accountability for future generations.

        The strike itself was very motivating for GenderCC and its allies. We participated in the protest with colourful banners and signs. Activists of all age groups and genders joined the feminist bloc: big thanks to all for the encouraging support!

         

                

         

                                                   

        Gender Into Urban Climate Change Initiative

        On September 13, our colleague Ferrial Adam, working with GenderCC Southern Africa, represented the GUCCI project at the 2019 UNFCCC Forum on the Standing Committee on Finance. Ferrial shared experiences of the project focusing on the role of climate finance in building gender-responsive, inclusive and sustainable cities. The recording and programme of the event can be found here.

        Not without us! Climate justice and gender justice in international climate politics

        The project announced a call for new participants in August and we have finalised the selection process! Two new activists will join our team and contribute to the capacity building and advocacy aspects of the project: Shradha Shreejaya, from India, is currently a consultant with TARA working with women-led campaigns and advocacy around adaptation, menstrual equity and access to justice for loss and damages due to climate breakdown. Tamani Rarama, from Fiji, is an indigenous I-taukei (Fijian) feminist and climate justice activist. Tamani is the current Secretary Executive of the Fiji Youth SRHR Alliance, a network of young leaders who work on advocacy & lobbying for SRHR issues in Fiji. They previously worked as a programme officer with Rainbow Pride Foundation. Their work with RPF engaged them to work on multi-intersecting thematic that include SRHR and human rights, as well as the needs and issues of LGBTQI+ people pre, during and post climate-related disasters.

        Our outreach activities

        In July, GenderCC gave a workshop on gender and water at the BUND Jugend (Young Friends of the Earth) German-Egyptian exchange. It consisted of a youth-led set of seminars where young people from both countries shared environmental knowledge, practices, and initiatives; in order to create a base of conscious youth to think sustainably and critically.  Water was the focus of the 2019 edition, and is inextricably connected with social and gender aspects. A paper on Gender and Water based on this seminar can be found here.
        During July and August, GenderCC started its professional exchange with the Yunnan Green Environment Development Foundation (YGF), based in Kunming, China. GenderCC is one of the 12 European NGOs participating in the 2019 edition of the EU-China NGO twinning programme, in cooperation with Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe and the China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO). In October, GenderCC will host an expert from YGF for one month. The programme seeks to strengthen collaboration among civil society organisations working on climate change, low-carbon development, environmental and social justice in both regions.

        Gender @ UNFCCC

        Outcomes of SB50

        The UNFCCC hosted a webinar on the outcomes of the SB 50 in Bonn and on the next steps towards COP25 in Chile related to the Lima Work Programme on Gender and its Gender Action Plan. You can watch the recording here

        Alternative civil society spaces during COP25

        Civil society organisations and collectives, especially from Latin America, are organising several alternative events which will run parallel to COP25 in Chile. The People's Summit will bring together organisations and social articulations from different territories and sectors of the world, to share experiences and promote alternative solutions to the system and strengthen global solidarity and local action to stop the socio-environmental catastrophe. Also, the platform Civil Society for Climate Action (SCAC) Chile will host the "Social Summit for Climate Action" (Cumbre Social por la Acción Climática), from 2 to 10 December at the Lalo Parra Cultural Center in Santiago, Chile. The event seeks to be an open space for citizen reflection for concrete and real actions on climate change. If you know of any other civil society-led events or movements during COP25 and would like us to share it, get in contact with us.

        Activities of the Gender and Climate Change Community

        Webinar on Mobility and Gender in Latin America

        The Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative TUMI and Red Mujeres en Movimiento held a webinar on Pattern of Mobility with a Gender Perspective in Latin America. They explained how, despite that the transport system is still seen as a gender neutral, women’s mobility pattern differ to men’s due to their role as caretakers.  Women’s experiences in the mobility system and possible solutions to a better inclusion in Latin American cities were discussed. Find the Spanish Video on the webinar here.

        Meeting on the impacts of climate change on the life of women in Uvira, DR Congo

        Our new member organisation "Aube Nouvelle pour la Femme et Dévelopement" (ANFD) based in South Kivu, DR Congo, organised an exchange meeting to share experiences of rural women on the effects of climate change in their life. 35 women came together to debate about climate change and means to prevent and combat its effects. Increase of heat, disruption of the agricultural calendar, erosion of the soil and the scarcity of water as well as plant diseases caused by climate change are some of the consequences affecting especially women in the communities in Uvira. The aim of the meeting was to raise awareness on climate damaging practices, such as the massive cuts of firewood, the use of bush fire in the fields before the next crops and other intensive farming practices. The women together at ANFD also discussed solutions to this crisis, such as the establishment of reforestation sites, taking measures to combat massive logging and bushfire, use of good farming practices and improved stoves and learning good management of household waste.

         

                 

        Feminists acting on the Amazon fires

        The Women and Gender Constituency along with the Women’s Major Group have mobilised to support the claim of civil society organisations and local groups directly working or affected by the criminal fires that struck the Amazon forest last month. There are hundreds of organisations and collectives working on the issue, as well as means to get involved. We recommend reading the manifesto brought up by several Latin American feminist organisations in support of the Amazon and its people (in Portuguese) and keep in touch with our social media channels, where we will keep sharing relevant initiatives.

        News on Gender and Climate Change

        FRIDA Climate and Environmental Justice Fellowship announced

        FRIDA works with young feminists all over the world by funding their projects and collectives. Recently, FRIDA launched a call for their Climate and Environmental Justice Fellowship, targeted at young feminist journalists, media and authors from the Global South. The aim was to support the fellows in their critical analysis on how gender justice and climate justice are intertwined. Find out here who the new fellows are.

        Open course on Gender Responsive Governance

        The Hague Academy for Local Governance offers a ten day course on Gender Responsive Governance from 18 to 29 November. The focus of the course will be on how to create gender sensitive policies and programmes on the community level. The aim is to develop strategies to include marginalised groups in public governance processes and applying intersectional gender perspectives in different contexts. Learning objectives are set in the topics of public governance, gender mainstreaming, gender budgeting, empowerment and others. Find more information on costs, funding opportunities and registration here.

        Summary of the Human Rights Council Panel Discussion on Women’s Rights and Climate Change

        The 41st UN Human Rights Council took place in Geneva on June 2019. In this session, a panel on “Women’s Rights and climate Change: Climate Action, Good Practices and Lessons Learned” was held on 28 June. The panelists highlighted how climate change hit women and girls disproportionally harder and how integrating women in decision-making is crucial to face the climate crisis. Read the observations and summary here

        Applications for the Global Governance Futures Fellowship open

        The Global Governance Futures is a Multilateral Dialogues’ programme of the Robert Bosch Foundation with the aim to bring together professionals from different sectors and countries to develop solutions and tools for global key challenges, such as climate-related conflicts and inequality. The fellowship consists of dialogue with experts, policymakers and business leaders and training sessions. The application is open for citizens from Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Africa and the US. The deadline is 8 October 2019. Find more details here.

        Applications for the Marielle Franco Programme on the Acceleration of Black Women's Leadership

        The Baoba Fund for Racial Equity is the first and only fund dedicated to the promotion of racial equity for the black people in Brazil. Through financial, technical and institutional support, the Baoba Fund will invest in civil society organisations, groups and collectives led by black women, and in black women's leadership. Through the programme, which will take place over five years, the Fund hopes that black women receiving support will have more means to access decision-making spaces, mobilise more people for the anti-racist struggle for justice, social and racial equity, and transform the world through their experiences. Applications are due on October 4, and are for NGOs and women based in Brazil only. More information can be accessed here (in Portuguese).

        Who is Who at GenderCC

        Say hi and bye to our intern Sara

        Our intern Sara López García will soon complete her internship with us, which was full of great dedication, motivation and success! Sara is finishing her Master’s in Global Health in the Karolinska Instituet in Stockholm. She wrote her thesis on gender and disaster risk reduction policies in Latin America. She is particularly interested in understanding how environmental civil society organisations, such as GenderCC, develop their field of action and the elements they have to face on their everyday work. At the GenderCC secretariat, Sara contributed to the management of the GUCCI project, developed a policy paper on gender and water and played a key role on the organisation of our participation at the Global Climate Strike on September 20 in Berlin. We really enjoyed working with Sara and wish her all the best in her future projects!

        Meet our twinner from the Yunnan Green Development Environment Foundation!

        In October, GenderCC will host Jia Yuan, project manager with the YGF. Jia holds a MA degree in Anthropology by the Yunnan University in China. At YGF, she is responsible for the sustainable development projects implemented in rural communities in the Yunnan region, focusing on how to balance the social and economic development of the community with the environmental protection of the natural reserves close to where they live. During her month with us, we will present her our projects and introduce her to local initiatives related to gender and climate justice.


        Publications

        The Heat Is On: Taking Stock of Global Climate Ambition

        This UNDP/UNFCCC report is a detailed review of the momentum since the Paris Agreement and is designed to both inspire and inform the UN Climate Action Summit in New York on 23 September. The report shows how 67 nations intend to include gender and women’s empowerment considerations into their revised NDC plans, recognising the vital roles that women can play in climate action. More 

        Gender and Water Topic Review

        GenderCC published a topic review on gender and water. Due to its social significance, water is unquestionably intertwined with social dynamics, including gender roles. Gender roles shape the use and collection of water, which are traditionally associated with women in the private, domestic sphere, and the governance of water resources, which are associated with men in the public, monetary sphere. Climate change affects the water cycle causing extreme weather events and altering the predictability of water availability. It compromises water quality, biodiversity and sanitation and hygiene.The impact of climate change on water disproportionately affects women and girls in the world due to gender roles. You can download this publication here.

        The Making of an Environmental Hero: A History of Ecomodern Masculinity, Fuel Cells and Arnold Schwarzenegger

        This paper explores the “eco-modern masculinity” as the shift of hegemonial masculinity embedded in environmental policy. The example of Arnold Schwarzenegger as environmental role model leads the author to examine Schwarzenegger’s gender identity and environmental politics. “Eco-modern environmental politics and Kindergarten Commando masculinity are understood as attempts to incorporate and deflect criticism in order to perpetuate hegemony, to ensure that practices remain in effect `business as usual‘“ More

        Women’s organizations and Climate Finance: engaging in processes and accessing resources

        Women’s Environment & Development Organization (WEDO) published this report, which analyses the “theoretical and practical experiences of access, participation, and power for women’s organisations seeking to engage with international climate funds, and then identifies ways various actors can work to re-orient climate finance pathways to provide more efficient support and solutions toward gender-responsive climate action“. More

        Conducting Gender Analysis to inform National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Processes. Reflections from six African Countries

        The NAP Global Network is working with governments of six African countries to make a deep gender analysis for their respective NAP processes. „This [..] provides insights from the analyses, presenting common themes that are emerging as well as lessons learned from the process. In sharing these reflections, we aim to demonstrate the value of targeted gender analysis in promoting adaptation action that is gender-responsive, while also documenting learning that may be useful for other countries that are working to integrate gender considerations in their NAP processes“ More

        Calendar of Events

        27 September, Berlin, Germany: panel discussion “Was kann Feminismus zu Klimagerechtigkeit beitragen?“, Aquarium am Südblock, 6.30 pm


        As part of our activities during the Climate Action Week, Malu Tello, from GenderCC, will take part on the discussion panel on how feminist struggles contribute to the fight for climate justice globally. The event is organised by the Kali Feminists group and will take place in German. More details can be found here.



        14 October, Berlin, Germany: Monday on the Couch discussion on gender, iac Berlin, 7pm


        This event will discuss gender equality achievements in Europe and China in light of the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action. Isadora Cardoso, from GenderCC, will join the panel, along with partners from the EU-China NGO Twinning Programme and Stiftung Asienhaus. More information can be found here.  



        16 - 18 October, Accra, Ghana: Climate Chance Summit

        The Climate Chance Summit – Africa 2019 will gather around 1000 non-state actors fighting climate change on the African continent, including local governments, businesses, trade unions, environmental NGO’s, farmers, women and youth organisations, researchers. For more information on how to get involved, visit here.



        17 - 20 October, Callejones, Chile: Ayni Climático climate camp

        The Ayni Climático – Campamento 2019 will host a climate camp for activists and organisations based in Chile and Latin America where people-centred strategies towards #COP25 will be developed. The camp intends to strengthen the Latin American social fabric that works towards systemic change, environmental and social justice. For more information, click here.