Women Leaders Can Turn Commitments on Climate Change and Gender Equality into Action on the Ground

In the last month, MRFCJ has focused its efforts on addressing and highlighting the gender dimension of climate change in the run up to negotiations at COP 17. At a recent meeting of the Troika+ of Women Leaders on Gender and Climate Change, hosted by MRFCJ on the side-lines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, women leaders came together to discuss how they can use their leadership roles to bring gender and climate change from the side-lines to the centre of economic, social and environmental decision making, thus facilitating commitments into actions.

The first Troika+ meeting, which was supported by Ireland's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, included the incoming chair of COP17 Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, South Africa, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane while COP 16 President, Patricia Espinosa, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mexico was represented by Ambassador Socorro de Flores. Also participating in the meeting was Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, Christiana Figueres, Ms Jan O'Sullivan, Minister of State for Trade and Development, Ireland, Executive Director UN Women Michelle Bachelet, Dr Gro Brundtland Member of the UN Secretary-General's Global Sustainability Panel, along with representatives of the European Commissioner for Climate Action, FAS, GGCA and the Centre for Human Rights and Development, Argentina

Attendees at the meeting agreed on the need to emphasise the role of women as a force for transformation as the world emerges from the financial crisis while stressing the need to recognise the links between climate change, sustainable development and poverty reduction. To maintain the momentum for a greater gender dimension to climate change solutions, Minister Nkoana-Mashabane indicated that a programme of activities on women's leadership running parallel to the negotiation's at COP17 is being planned; both Minister Nkoana-Mashabane and Mary Robinson stated their commitment to co-host a high level event of women leaders on gender and climate change during COP 17 in Durban.

To hear more about how MRFCJ approaches gender and climate justice watch this clip of the most recent lecture delivered by Mary Robinson.

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Nonprofits & Activism

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• mrfcj
• mary robinson
• climate justice
• climate change
• human rights
• global warming
• hillary clinton
• apec
• women
• economy
• gender equality