Gender just climate solutions award winners announced and publication launch

Gender Just Climate Solution Award at COP22

“When women design solutions, they don’t leave anyone behind” said Amina Mohammed, Minister of Environment, Nigeria, at the Gender Just Climate Solutions Award ceremony, last week. The chant “All Across the Nation”, led by our partner Priscilla Achakpa (WEP), filled the ceremonial hall as the award opened up. It set the tone for a joyous event, celebrating a brighter, more holistic future.  

Launched in 2015, by the Women and Gender Constituency, the ‘Gender Just Climate Solutions Award’ honours the fundamental contribution of women in the Fight against climate change and demonstrates the pertinence of integrating Gender equality in all climate policies. “When women design solutions, they don’t leave anyone behind” said Amina Mohammed (Minister of Environment, Nigeria) in her speech during the Gender Just Climate Solutions Award ceremony last week. Hosted by us, on behalf of the Women and Gender Constituency (WGC), the event announced the three winners and presented the WGC’s second publication on gender just climate solutions. “It is fundamental to value and support climate solutions that fully integrate gender equality.” said Priscilla Achakpa and Sascha Gabizon in the opening of the award ceremony. Presenting the award did the hounorables Amina Mohammed; Hakima El Haite (Moroccan Minister of Environment & Climate Champion), and Laurence Monnoyer-Smith (High Commissioner for Sustainable Development, stepping in for the French Minister of Environment Ségolène Royal). Other distinguished speakers were Eric Baulard (Director of the Morrocan Office of the French Development Agency (AFD), Mathilde Bois Dubuc (Secretary General, Fondation Raja), and Lakschmi Puri (UN assistant Secretary General and Deputy Director, UN Women).

Out of almost 100 applications, most which were excellent, 3 winners were selected by an independent jury. The criteria used by the jury were:

  • Ensures sufficiency and a low input of resources
  • Contributes to climate change mitigation, emissions reduction and/or climate adaptation
  • Decentralized, safe, appropriate, affordable, sustainable
  • Results can be shared, spread and up scaled – not just benefiting one individual
  • Shows inter-linkages to peace-building, resource constraints, and health – does not increase conflict potential
  • Equal access to benefits/equal benefits, women in value chain
  • Does not add additional burden to women’s workload
  • Empowers women – through e.g. reduced workload and costs, better accessibility, enhanced livelihood security, enhanced food security, improved health – as many benefits as possible, i.e. “multiple benefits”
  • Ensures decision-making by local women and men, women`s groups, cooperatives and communities
  • Promotes women’s democratic rights and participation of women in all areas of decision-making

The 3 award winners, per category, to receive the 1.000 euros each:

Technical climate solutions – Fondation Mohammed VI (women and school children install and use solar cookers to preserve the Argan forest), represented by Katim Alaoui. (Photo: © Annabelle Avril / WECF)
Non-technical climate solutions – YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU) (empowering women’s groups in disaster prone areas through community based sustainable water management), represented by Helga Yohana Simaputang. (Photo: © Annabelle Avril / WECF)
Transformational climate solutions – ENDA Graf Sahel (strengthening women’s ancestral and artisanal fishery to preserve mangrove resources in the Saloum delta), represented by Fatou Ndoye and Fatou Sarr. (Photo: © Annabelle Avril / WECF)

Publication Launch

(Photo: © Annabelle Avril / WECF) Our Anne Barre and Bridget Burns (WEDO) presenting the publication. You can download your own copy of it here.
(Photo: © Annabelle Avril / WECF) The press conference.

 

The award and publication was made possible due to the grand support of: