"Women’s leadership in mitigating the impact of climate change and building a peaceful and sustainable climate-resilient Africa"
What: High-Level Side Event on the margins of the 66th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66). Theme: "Women’s leadership in mitigating the impact of climate change and building a peaceful and sustainable climate-resilient Africa"
When:17 March 2022, From 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST
Where: Hybrid: https://bit.ly/AWLN_CSW66
& African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations
305 East 47th Street, 5th Floor New York, NY 10017
Who:The African Women Leaders’ Network (AWLN), in collaboration with the Group of Friends of AWLN New York, co-chaired by Germany and South Africa, together with UN Women and the International Peace Institute (IPI).
Why: Nine out of the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change globally are in sub-Saharan Africa, and African countries make up 70% of the 50 most vulnerable countries[1] to climate change. While Africa is contributing less than 4 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, it will be severely impacted through more intense and more frequent extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and coastal erosion, that often lead to forced displacement, migration and competition over scarce resources which often accelerate tensions into conflict. Women and girls bear the brunt of the effects of climate change. Although they play a critical role in climate change adaptation and mitigation through contribution in agriculture, sustainable management of natural resources, ecosystems’ conservation, they often lack equal rights to land ownership as well as other means of production. Women’s leadership role in decision-making linked to climate change could positively influence the outcome of the mitigation strategies.
How: The side event will consider the CSW66 priority theme “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes” in the various context of Africa, including the Sahel and its link to peace and security. Discussions will also reflect on food security in Africa, especially in the face of environmental degradation linked to climate change.
In-person participants are requested to confirm participation at awlnetwork2017@gmail.com.
Virtual participants are requested to register in advance: https://bit.ly/AWLN_CSW66
Journalists covering the event in person will have the opportunity to interview the Keynote Speakers at the end of the meeting.
Further information:
Ms. Fatou Sombie | Advisor Women, Peace and Security, Focal person AWLN | Email: Fatou.sombie@unwomen.org
Media inquiries:
Ms. Lorraine Kepeden | Communications Advisor | Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations | Email: KepedenL@africa-union.org
[1]The Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN) Vulnerability Index, 2019. https://gain.nd.edu/our-work/country-index/rankings/