Sustainable Development
Our work in the area of sustainable development aims to foster development that is ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially just and works to strengthen alliances between the women’s and environmental movements.
Climate change is the most pressing global challenge facing our world today and thus much of our work in this area is focused on advocacy towards understanding the linkages between gender and climate change (i.e. the differential cause and effect of environmental degradation on men and women and importantly, the role of women as agents of change in regards to mitigation and adaptation to climate change.)
This year also marks some significant milestones for WEDO. Not only are we celebrating our 20th anniversary, we are preparing for the anniversary summit of the 1992 Earth Summit (UNCED), Rio+20 in 2012. Having emerged to specifically influence those historic negotiations, WEDO helped ensure women’s perspectives and gender equality positions were secured in two key final documents of that conference, Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration. Twenty years later, and with another conference ahead, WEDO is hard at work on the Road to Rio 2012! Click here to find out more about Rio+20!
We continues to engage in work across a variety of environmental/sustainable development topics such as biodiversity, food security, and urbanization; mapping the linkages and intersections of gender across all these areas.
To find out more about our specific work in these areas please click below:
• Climate Change
• Biodiversity
• Water
• Food Security
• Forestry
• Urbanization
Visit the Library for key documents and other resources.
The Latest Sustainable Development News
Heading Back to the Table: Climate Talks Resume in Bonn
[ May 14, 2012 to May 25, 2012. ]
The first session of the 2012 UNFCCC negotiations commence today in Bonn, Germany. In Bonn, Parties will build upon the outcomes achieved in Durban in November/December 2011- outcomes which were viewed divergently by stakeholders involved in this process, from Parties to civil society, as either a good step forward or a failure to deliver the change which was -and is still- urgently needed.
In WEDO’s analysis of the COP17 outcomes, we noted that there was some success in Durban, particularly in respect to references on women and gender, which were secured across several areas– in countries’ guidelines for National Adaptation Plans (NAPs); in …
Women demand rights and ambition at Rio+20 Negotiations
On May 5th, 2012, WEDO’s Eleanor Blomstrom delivered closing remarks on behalf of the Women’s Major Group at the Rio+20 negotiation. Watch Eleanor deliver the intervention below and read the statement in full.
Thank you chair. Distinguished delegates and colleagues,
I am Eleanor Blomstrom, of the Women’s Environment and Development Organization, speaking on behalf of the Women’s Major Group.
We entered these negotiations urging ambition. Unfortunately, we leave urging the same.
Rio+20 must take a rights based approach to poverty eradication and sustainable development, and can only succeed by integrating gender equality and women’s human rights in each of the …
Gender equality and climate change in the EU
New York, May 3rd, 2012
The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) has published a report on gender equality and climate change which covers all the European Union Member States and provides comparable data on the European Union level. See http://www.eige.europa.eu/content/document/gender-equality-and-climate-change-main-findings
The findings demonstrate that women’s involvement in climate change decision-making at national, European and international levels is still low. Therefore, EIGE introduces the first EU indicators in the area K: Women and the Environment of the Beijing Platform for Action to support the policy makers in enhancing equality and improving the climate change policies.…
Happy Earth Day!
Istanbul, Turkey- April 22nd, 2012
Happy Earth Day, friends!
As you know, WEDO is a women’s global advocacy organization working to ensure that sustainable development policies, programs and funds include women’s rights and perspectives and aim to advance gender equality. But a sustainable world – one that includes equitable and just allocation, management of and control over resources – is in jeopardy; destructive global production and consumption cycles and unfulfilled rights are part of the reason. This Earth Day, as we approach Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, WEDO recognizes that our efforts to achieve sustainable development …
Report from CSW56 Learning Circle on Gender and Climate Change
New York- April 18, 2012
On March 5th, during CSW56, WEDO was very pleased to participate in a “Learning Circle on Gender and Climate Change”, co-sponsored by the GGCA and the NGO CSW Forum 2012. Attached below, please find a final report from the event including summaries from each of the key areas of discussion: Mitigation, Adaptation, Advocacy, Finance, Disaster Risk reduction, and Grassroots community strategies.
http://www.gender-climate.org/Content/Docs/Publications/learning_circle_report.pdf…
