Women at the Forefront of Climate Change

Our student group from SES is pretty female-heavy.  Out of nine kids, seven of us are girls.

It has been a welcome realization that women have a powerful presence at COP23, too.  They're in the meditation room for five daily Islamic prayers, in conference rooms explaining their new inventions and initiatives during panel discussions, and leading dozens of sessions a day all around the conference.  It is empowering to interact with so many women who are making ripples in their own communities and the world.

I attended a session called “Women at the Forefront of Climate Change” which highlighted women involved in different climate-related causes. Some of them included Frances Namoumou, from the Pacific Council of the Churches, who works with governmental organizations to streamline the process of relocating communities inland because of rising sea levels.  Another was Sabine Minninger, a lawyer and a member of the organization “Board for the World” who also focuses on resettlement.  Minet Aguisanda from the Philippines educates vulnerable communities about climate change, the environment, and emergency preparedness, and Ninja Taprogge from the organization CARE is behind a photo project showcasing women fighting climate change.  Each one of them is using her voice and her influence to address an important issue.  It reminds me of a quote used at another session from a Scottish youth group, 2050, that reads, “We can't wait to be given legitimacy.  We have to legitimize ourselves.”

                                               A display from "Women at the Forefront of Climate Change"

At the Women and Gender Constituency exhibit, I learned that women are disproportionately affected by climate change.  They often have reduced access to information and mobility.  90% of household care services across the world (cooking, cleaning, childcare) are performed by women, and because of this they might not hear news of a coming storm or be able to get both themselves and their children out.  This results in a much higher death toll overall.

Despite these odds, women are literally on the front lines of climate change.  They are reaching out, standing up, raising their voices, and inspiring the rest of us to do the same.  They're in Germany and Fiji and India and Nairobi, and right at home in Minnesota, USA.  

Annie W.