Women in Wind statement to UNFCCC enhanced gender action plan on Gender and Climate Change

15 March 2021

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Women in Wind statement to UNFCCC enhanced gender action plan on Gender and Climate Change

In March 2021, GWEC and GWNET submitted a statement to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on behalf of the Women in Wind Global Leadership Program. The submission will feed into the Enhanced Lima work programme on gender and its gender action plan, informing Convention Parties on the imperatives of a just transition of the workforce and the creation of decent work and quality jobs in accordance with nationally defined development priorities.

GWEC was invited to submit a statement as a non-Party stakeholder to the UNFCCC.

Parties and stakeholders were invited to share experiences of engaging women’s groups and national women and gender institutions in the process of developing, implementing and updating climate policies, plans, strategies and action, as appropriate, at all levels.

Women in Wind Perspective

From the program experience, key activities for women’s empowerment include: mentorships; personal and professional development; knowledge-transfer webinars and forums; study tours which can expose women to diverse perspectives and network-building opportunities; and sector-wide advocacy and research which prioritises diversity as a driver of the energy transition.

With the aim to mainstream gender into policymaking and project design in the wind industry, it is vital to prioritize the collection and analysis of gender-disaggregated data. On a general level, such data highlights the strengths and gaps of women representation, and the perception of barriers to recruitment, retention and advancement.

Women in Wind has the aim to transform the face of the wind industry into one which reflects the sustainable future that we wish to foster. That means making diversity and inclusivity sector-wide guiding principles for sustainable growth, delivering progress on SDG 5 (gender equality and the empowerment of women), SDG 7 (access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all) and SDG 13 (urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts).

The full statement by the Women in Wind Global Leadership Program can be downloaded here: GWEC-GWNET – UNFCCC Submission on Gender and Climate Change.

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