Ahead of the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) taking off from 29th of November 2015 , the Women climate Justice Advocates supported by Women Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) under the Mobilizing Women for Climate Justice Program arrived in Paris on 27th Of Novembers to strategize with the broader Women Gender Constituency (WGC) of the United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change (UNFCCC) on how to advocate for Gender and women in the climate Negotiations.
with the objective of building the capacity and increasing the participation of women advocates in international climate change negotiations with a particular focus on women from civil society organizations and frontline communities who have experience with issues regarding gender equality and climate justice.
Since September 2015, the women climate advocates have been participating in the AD Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP 2) negotiations leading up to COP 21
In Paris, at the WGC strategy meeting the women discussed their key demands and positions on issues like, Mitigation and technology, Finance, Adaptation and loss and damage for the climate agreement. Other issues on communication, climate justice actions, side events and other events that will happen during the two weeks of the negotiations were also discussed.
The WGC agreed to participate in the Human chain event which replaced the climate march that was cancelled due to security reasons. The Human Chain action for climate justice was successful with about 20, 000 people participating including the women advocates, Indigenous peoples, frontline communities and civil society groups.
The women climate Justice Advocates specifically had their space with the women groups displaying their banners and chanting gender and climate justice messages prepared by the women’s Global Call for Climate Justice.
The women Climate justice advocates are going to be busy throughout the negotiations lobbying country delegates and engaging delegates with the women’s demands to ensure a gender just climate agreement .
Ms Titilope Gbemisola Akosa and Ms Edna Kaptoyo are women climate Justice advocates from Africa and they will be reporting Gender and women’s issues throughout the COP21. Follow us on twitter @titiakosa, @ednakaptoyo @c21stnigeria on facebook Centre for 21st Century Issues and Indigenous Information Network.
Ms Titilope Gbemisola Akosa-Centre for 21st Century Issues
Ms Edna Kaptoyo- Indigenous Information Network/ International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal peoples Of the Tropical Forest
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