Over 100 delegates from around the world came together in New York this past weekend to prove that women are powerful agents in the fight against climate change. The International Women’s Earth and Climate (IWECI) Summit hosted a wide variety of women change-makers. These included indigenous leaders, scientists and key actors in the fields of business, policy and renewable action, who united for three days of dialogue and action planning.
The Summit aimed to place women at the centre of the climate change agenda and to promote collaboration and solutions. The delegates committed to strengthening support for grassroots climate and gender equality movements and to establishing a Women’s Global Day of Action on Climate in 2014. They also created a Declaration, calling for urgent action on climate change and sustainable solutions.
Another priority of the Summit was to establish a Women’s Action Climate Agenda. The delegates’ first points of action were to call on US President Barack Obama to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline, to appeal to the United Nations and World Bank to reject REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation)and to urge Ecuadorian leaders to protect the Yasuni National Park.
Our very own Laureate Jody Williams was in attendance at the Summit, encouraging more people to get involved in combatting climate change. “Worrying about a problem is not a strategy for change. Get up, join the crowd and take action to save this planet! If we work in networks, we CAN change the world.”
The delegates will continue to finalize the Women’s Climate Action Agenda and to plan new collective actions in the coming weeks.
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