الحراجة في الأراضي الجافة
©Sarah Pima

Join us!

Date: 22 April 2022

Time: 13:00-15:00 (CEST)

Link: https://fao.zoom.us/j/97297913322?from=addon

Meeting ID: 972 9791 3322

 

Passcode: 74284952

Gender in UNCCD COP15 – Findings, advocacy spaces and opportunities

WeCaN initiative kicks off new training to boost women’s advocacy in dryland forests – here’s how to get involved

A series of new advocacy training events run by the WeCaN Nurturing Community of Knowledge Practice for kicked off today with a special enrichment session, which offered a chance to identify opportunities for advocacy at the upcoming UNCCD COP15 and discuss how to capitalise on them.

The event, ‘Gender in UNCCD COP 15 – Findings, advocacy spaces and opportunities’, aimed to support WeCaN members’ advocacy during the convention, which takes place from 9 to 20 May 2022 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. It comes ahead of a new advocacy training course for WeCaN members, beginning 29 April.

UNCCD Gender Specialist Rockaya Aidara led the event, sharing her expertise on boosting  women’s advocacy at high-level events. According to Rockaya, “We need to ensure that parties negotiating about the convention see the critical role that women play, but also the key challenges that affect their involvement in the implementation of land restoration initiatives and programmes.”

“The power of women organisations is the capacity to connect the dots, bring a coherent story to COP and share it with a wide audience,” Rockaya said. 

“Women have unique skills and knowledge in environmental conservation and management, continued engagement...is essential for suistanable development,” commented Sarah Pima-Hudefo, joining from Tanzania.

Attendees were given a sneak peek at the findings of the new study conducted by UNCCD: The Differentiated Impacts of Land Degradation, Desertification and Drought on Women and Men, which sparked an active discussion between members, who were keen to share their insights and discuss the potential impact of the results.

New datasets produced for the study, including information on the gender parity of NCCD COP14 delegations and the inclusion of gender in National Drought Plans, highlighted areas for work and opportunities to make women’s voices heard. Discussion then turned to opportunities to advocate at the upcoming UNCCD COP15 and the Gender Caucus, which will foster women’s participation and promote gender equality at all levels.

WeCaN’s advocacy training course

The enrichment session came ahead of WeCaN’s upcoming advocacy training course, Women Leadership & Advocacy Actions in Climate Change Negotiations. Addressed to all WeCaN members including women activists, leaders and organisations, the course will strengthen the leadership, speaking and negotiations skills of attendees to increase their influence in policy dialogues on land restoration and climate change at national, regional and global levels.

The first training session will be held on Friday 29th April at 1pm (CEST) and will last two hours, led by Maurizio Furst, FAO Gender Specialist and Ilaria Sisto, FAO Gender and Climate Change Expert. The session will present key concepts and deliver the first mapping of the current challenges, proposals and policy contributions by the women organizations. 

To join the training, please fill in the registration form by the 27 April.