Strengthening the role of women in climate action

A package of measures to strengthen the role of women from the Global South in climate action has been announced at COP27 by Environment Minister Mairi McAllan.

A total of £150,000 will be provided to WEDO to enable women from the Global South to attend UN climate negotiations at COP28 in Dubai and to provide women in indigenous communities with the resources to scale up local climate solutions. 

Speaking at a Scottish Government-hosted panel on the gendered impacts of climate change, the Environment Minister also announced £50,000 to create a new Fellowship at the University of Dundee. It will give women human rights defenders from the Global South the opportunity to spend several months in Scotland, where they can continue their work in a place of safety.

Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said:

“At COP26, we pledged to use our influence to provide marginalized groups with a platform and access to international dialogues and we are delivering on that promise. We know that women and girls are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis and one of the most important ways we can address this is by enhancing women’s participation in climate change policy and decision-making.

“That's why we are working with WEDO to make sure that more women from the global south can attend and influence crucial climate negotiations, including next year's COP28 in Dubai. In doing so, we are actively placing women exactly where they need to be - at the centre of climate action that will successfully deliver on the promise of the Paris Agreement.”

Background

£150,000 funding for WEDO will contribute towards:

• The Women’s Delegate Fund, which supports women from the Global South to negotiate at COP, strengthening skills and building networks ahead of the summit.
• The Gender Just Climate Solutions, which provides women in indigenous communities with the resources to scale up local climate solutions
• The Gender Climate Tracker, which uses cross-sectoral data analysis of gender and the environment to inform policy implementation.

The fellowship expands on the existing Scottish Human Rights Defender Fellowship Programme, and is being delivered in partnership with civil society organisations. Its focus will be on maintaining and building gender and environmental capacity and the Fellow will complete an independent research project, which is intended to have direct application on to their work upon return home.