SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, Calif. (November 1,
2017) - A new online research and storytelling database, 'Women Speak: Stories,
Case Studies And Solutions From The Frontlines Of Climate Change', has gone
live around the world on November 1st, 2017, and will be highlighted throughout
a November launch month as a critical tool for frontline leaders, policy
makers, journalists, activists, educators, students, and all those seeking to
understand and demonstrate why and how women are paramount to just action on
climate change.
The 'Women Speak: Stories, Case Studies And
Solutions From The Frontlines Of Climate Change' database and initiative has
been designed and compiled by the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN)
International in order to shift the narrative on how we achieve an equitable
and sustainable world - through the collection and sharing of hundreds, and
ultimately many thousands of stories by and about global women leaders working
in areas such as forest and biodiversity protection; fossil fuel resistance
efforts; ecologic agriculture and land rights protection; renewable energy
implementation; climate law and policy; education and grassroots movement
building; and much more.
The database responds to an urgent need,
identified by WECAN International and many diverse groups worldwide, for a
compilation of qualitative evidence, and a readily accessible and ever-growing
repository of examples of women's actions for climate justice and solutions.
Despite the fact that women are impacted
first and worst by climate change, and have proven to be central to successful
climate solutions and policies, the voice and rights of women often continue to
be suppressed and ignored. As CNN and Media Matters have reported, only 15% of
those interviewed in the media on climate change have been women.
The press is invited to explore the Women
Speak database - www.wecaninternational.org/womenspeak - and to reach out with
questions and media requests.
Diverse spokeswomen are available for
interviews to provide further analysis on the database, and the importance of
women's work to address global social and ecologic crises. Leaders and global
allies of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network share their thoughts
below.
"The Women Speak project is rooted in a
climate justice framework, and seeks to provide a vision going forward towards
a world of justice and respect for the Earth and all peoples. Through the
countless stories shared within Women Speak, WECAN seeks to highlight on-the
ground solutions, strategies and worldviews of global women leaders, so that
they can be shared, replicated, upscaled and used for inspiration in our
collective work to expose and transform the root causes of the climate crisis -
including patriarchy, colonialism, inequality, disconnection from the Earth,
and dysfunctional economic and political systems that depend on extraction and
endless growth on a finite planet. Women are demonstrating every day that they
have unique and essential ideas and skills to offer at this turning point in
history, and we hope the Women Speak database will be an effective, useful and
ever-growing platform to show the power and diversity of women's solutions for
climate justice." explains Osprey Orielle Lake, Executive Director of the
Women's Earth and Climate Action Network, and originator of the 'Women Speak'
project
"Now, more than ever humanity needs the
distinctive guidance of women to solve the climate crisis. We are in this
debacle to a great extent because we have not utilized the full benefit of the
leadership, ideas, the creativity of women. Women leaders focus on empowering
those around them, embracing a decision-making process that taps into the
entire talent pool and not that of just half the population." explains
Thilmeeza Hussain, Former Deputy Ambassador to the UN from the Maldives, and
leader with Climate Wise Women and Voice of Women, Maldives
"The work and visions of women leaders
is vital, as we can see in the actions of the women in my region of the
mountains of eastern Congo, where women are working so hard to change the
paradigm regarding climate change in our country, which affects climate change
around the whole world. Women leaders have created four tree nurseries and are
planting many hectares of land each year. We do our work with our bare hands
and carry the new trees in buckets on our heads to the planting zones
surrounding our villages. Our main goal in re-foresting our area is to protect
the old growth forest still remaining, and plant new trees to add to our
forest's ability to sequester carbon, while also providing new sources for
fuelwood and building timber. We Congolese women are taking our stewardship of
the world's second largest rainforest seriously. We have learned that without trees,
we have no future. We hope our voices and actions can be heard, and can inspire
other global women to take action for their communities and the Earth."
explains Neema Namadamu, Director of SAFECO & WECAN DRC Coordinator,
Democratic Republic of Congo
"Women in the Himalayas are crucial -
with their immense wisdom, traditional knowledge, experience, and incredible
hard work contributing to everyone's survival in these remote, threatened and
immensely valuable ecosystems, which are the water towers of the Earth, and
makers of climate for much of South Asia. But women are still suffering the
worst and are the last beneficiaries of any change. They are the mainstay of
the work, but are nowhere in decision making. Climate change policy will be
incomplete without including the women in the Himalayan communities - and with
the survival of people and Himalaya at stake, this has to change. We need to
hear women's voices and learn from their solutions." explains Dr. Reetu
Sogani, Honorary Program Director, Chintan International Trust; Development
practitioner, researcher, and adviser on gender, traditional knowledge, food
and nutrition security, climate change, India
"Women around the world are joining this
global movement to lead transformational solutions to bring energy justice and
climate change solutions to those are most vulnerable to the consequences of
inaction. My work has taught me that we must democratize light - as much for
peace and security, as for the shared future of humanity and our planet. Each Solar
Sister is a living testimony that when women lead grassroots green economies -
everyone benefits - they emerge as respected pioneers of sustainable
prosperity, communities thrive and young girls and boys look up to inspiring
role models of women taking the power in their own hands. We know a bright
future is possible for all people, and we will continue to build the bridges to
raise women's voices and action for climate solutions. This is the biggest
untapped renewable energy of the world - women power!" explains Neha
Misra, Co-Founder and Chief Collaboration Officer at Solar Sister
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