Wednesday December 2nd, we celebrated the 5th anniversary of the Gender Just Climate Awards. As part of the UN Climate Change Dialogues we organized this special event where we looked back with some of our previous award winners and their achievements on gender- and climate justice.

In this time of multiple crisis when frontline communities and within them women are the most affected, we want to demonstrate that Gender Just Climate Solutions can change the narrative about climate action. With this event we celebrate the great achievements of locally owned, participatory, and rights-based initiatives, presented by grassroots women and men who have won the Gender Just Climate Solutions Awards since COP21 in Paris, in 2015.

Kalyani Raj and Bridget Burns from the  Women and Gender Constituency opened our exciting event. “What started 5 years ago as a simple incentive has become a great project in itself today!”

“15 awardees from around the world reflect the diversity of our communities and in particular the concrete solutions to achieve a just and better future for all”, said WECF’s Gina Cortes who highlighted the transformative impact the projects have had, by advocating policy change they have successfully influenced national law-making and play an important part in the promotion of changing the existing power hierarchies. A great example of this is the project by CFLEDD in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The project attributed to a positive change for forest- and women’s rights and women now having a right to landownership.

Women leaders successfully change laws, norms that hindered their equal decision making and allows them to protect the climate and their communities. Unfortunately, their work does not come without the risk of violence, “when conflict walks in the door, climate action flies out of the window”. In times of conflict it becomes nearly to fully impossible to remain focused on fighting climate change. But women have shown to be resilient and continue to fight for a better and equalitarian world by developing and changing the system.

Life changing cooperation

All of our winners and nominees show us exactly why the awards are so important: they give a space to showcase solutions in all their diversities, being an inspiration for policy makers worldwide. Award-winner Sonita Mbah added that working with the other award winners and WECF, WGC and CTCN has been life changing! “The promotion of these projects encourages us to grow towards a more gender- and climate just world”.

Missed our special event as part of the UN Climate Dialogues?

You can listen to the webinar in:

• In English
• In French
• In Spanish (will be added later)

The presentation can be found here

Introduction and moderation

• Ms Bridget Burns – WEDO
• Ms Kalyani Raj – AIWC
• Ms Anne Barre – WECF
• Ms Gina Cortes Valderrama – WECF

Speakers

• Ms Bertha Chiroro – GenderCC SA
• Ms Fatou Ndoye – Enda Graf Sahel
• Clive Chibule – GLM
• Ms Karen Dubois – FUNDAECO
• Ms Dorothee Lisenga – CFLEDD
• Ms Sonita Mbah – BWC

Conclusion

• Ms Karina Kolbrún Larsen – CTCN

The amazing gender- and climate just projects combine the leadership of women and girls worldwide with sustainable climate-resilient solutions. Through promoting women’s right to bodily autonomy and economic independence it empowers women, whom are leading the transformation of their communities into becoming climate-resilient by community forest conservation, renewable energy and food safety.

December 12 will see the launch of a special publication, looking back on five editions of the GJCS Award, which will show key success factors for effective, inclusive, and transformative national climate policies. Watch this space for more information!