COP28 Presidency Announces how to Support Women’s Leadership
Measures Include Financial Assistance, Training sessions, and a Conference Focusing on Gender and the Environment
The COP28 Presidency has announced in a session during MENA's Climate Week, steps to support the representation and participation of women at the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 in UAE. The measures include financial assistance to encourage stronger attendance of women delegates, technical training sessions, and support for an international conference.
“Historically, the perspectives and leadership of women have been underrepresented in many spheres of public life and climate diplomacy is no exception,” said H.E. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, who is also President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the second woman to lead the organization in its 75-year history.
“The COP28 Presidency is mobilizing for an inclusive COP. These steps to support women’s leadership and participation get us closer to our goal and, I believe, will also have a positive impact on future rounds of the climate talks and on climate activism in general.”
The COP28 Presidency will also provide financial support to a Night School for Women Delegates, run by the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO). The financial support will cover logistical, travel, and other associated costs for women delegates attending COP meetings. Founded in 2009 and run by the WEDO, the initiative focuses on climate capacity-building for women from least-developed countries and small island developing states.
The COP28 Presidency will also offer financial support for the Global Conference on Gender and Environment Data, run collaboratively by COP28, UN Women, WEDO, UNFCCC, IUCN, and UN Climate Change High-Level Champions. The two-day event will take place on 28-29 November 2023 in Dubai. Speakers and participants will include UN agencies, government officials and policymakers, leaders, and commitment makers of the Feminist Action for Climate Justice Action Coalition and the Gender Environment Data Alliance (GEDA), private foundations, civil society organizations, indigenous leaders, local communities, and academia.
COP28 UAE will also host the Arab Women Leaders’ Summit in collaboration with WiSER (Women in Sustainability, Environment, and Renewable Energy), a global platform that champions women as leaders of sustainable change. WiSER was established in 2015 by Masdar, the UAE’s flagship renewable energy company, and empowers women to gain leadership skills through the lens of sustainability.
“Getting more women involved and giving them the tools to showcase their perspectives and participate in finding the solutions will ultimately yield stronger outcomes that benefit everyone,” added Al Mubarak.