The voices of grassroots, frontline, and Indigenous women and gender-diverse leaders could not be more important. In 2021, women only represented 38% of all national delegations to the UNFCCC. If gender equity continues at this rate, gender parity will not be achieved in national COP delegations until 2040. This is unacceptable, as women are providing critical leadership and solutions to addressing the climate crisis, and must be centered within climate action and decision-making. If we truly want to address the climate crisis, women, gender diverse leaders, and frontline communities must be heard!

WECAN reaffirms our commitment to bring women and feminist voices to the forefront, as well as unyielding action to expose the roots of the climate crisis and help usher in just climate solutions commensurate to the level of the multiple interlocking crises we face.

Ahead of COP27 we are also standing with civil society to hold governments accountable. We joined nearly 150 organizations to call on the U.S. government to support loss and damage at COP27, read the letter here. We also joined over 200 international groups to call on the UNFCCC Secretariat & State parties to put human rights at the center of climate action, learn more here.

At COP27 we will be presenting a diverse array of visions, projects, frameworks and strategies to draw attention to the root causes of multiple interlocking crises, and call for just solutions to shape a healthy and equitable world. During COP27, we will be advocating for:

In addition, we will continue to bring forward a Call to Action for governments and financial institutions to respond to the climate emergency. Last year, Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, spoke on the floor of the United Nations Headquarters to all word governments, bringing forward the call for action and making it clear in her intervention: "No more sacrifice people, no more sacrifice zones." Please watch the full intervention here.

As we do each year, we will also be advocating with the powerful Women and Gender Constituency, including centering the African Feminist Taskforce. Please read the African Women’s & Girls’ Demands for COP27 here.

For more background on WECAN International's analysis at previous COPs, please see a selection of previous UN climate negotiations blogs from COP26 and COP25.

You can also find updates on our COP27 delegation and events on our website here!

While it is vital to engage within the formal UN climate negotiations process in order to advocate for policies that support people and planet above profit and false solutions - our deepest hope lies with the people's climate justice movements organizing in magnificent diversity and strength across the world.

We are also celebrating with our partners in Brazil and around the world, the newly elected administration, voted in just this Sunday! This political transition will mean renewed support of Indigenous Peoples rights and territories, as well as the protection and defense of the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest and other biodiverse regions in the country. We look forward to supporting our partners and continuing to fight for Indigenous Rights, the defense of women land defenders, and the protection of the Amazon.

Please explore our newsletter further to meet the WECAN COP27 delegates, to learn about upcoming WECAN actions and events to date, and for report backs on recent campaigns and advocacy.

WECAN and women for climate justice are on the move, and your continued engagement and support is essential. Thank you for your contributions!

Neema Namadamu is the WECAN Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of Congo leading WECAN’s forest protection and reforestation program in the Itombe rainforest. Neema is also Founder and Director of SAFECO, the Synergy of Congolese Women’s Associations and Maman Shujaa: Hero Women of the Congo, through which she has a established a media center for Congolese women to make their voices heard on the range of issues affecting their country.

Casey Camp-Horinek of the Ponca Nation is a community leader, long-time Native rights activist, environmentalist and actress. She is the Ponca Environmental Ambassador and a WECAN Board member. She has been at the forefront of grassroots community efforts to educate and empower both Native and non-Native community members on environmental and civil rights issues.

Sônia Bone Guajajara is from the Guajajara/Tentehar people, who inhabit the forests of the Araribóia Indigenous Land, in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. She was recently elected as the first federal Indigenous woman lawmaker for the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Sônia has also served as the Executive Coordinator for the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) and led the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Indigenous-resistance efforts to protect communities and biodiversity.

Helena Siren Gualinga is a youth social justice and climate activist, from Sarayaku, Ecuador. She is a co-founder of Polluters Out and speaks out on Indigenous rights, climate justice, and forest protection.

Osprey Orielle Lake is the Founder and Executive Director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International. She works nationally and internationally with grassroots, frontline, and Indigenous leaders, policy-makers and scientists to promote climate justice, resilient communities, and a just transition to a clean energy future.

Katherine Quaid is the Communications Coordinator for the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN). She was born and raised in rural central Oregon and is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla. Her dedication to climate justice is tied to the lands of her ancestors and the many communities nationally and around the world that are fighting for a healthy future.

Pearl Gottschalk (Lujan) is an ally in Indigenous Philanthropy and is of Ukranian and Apache descent. She currently works as the Program Advisor to the Indigenous Women's Flow Fund at The Kindle Project and has worked in philanthropy for the last decade specializing in frontline, grassroots funding. This will be her third COP and she is excited about being a liaison between the philanthropic community and Indigenous People's in global delegations.

All events are listed in Egypt Time (EET), please check your time zone for each event here. 

More events will be added, please follow us on Facebook to stay up to date with our COP27 events and delegation.

When: Wednesday, November 9th

​During this high-level closed door meeting, frontline leaders and allies will meet with banks regarding fossil fuel extraction, forest protection, and Indigenous rights. This is a vital engagement for an in-depth ESG and rights-based exchange.

Thursday, November 10

3:30 - 4:00pm | 15:30 - 16:00 Egypt Time

Where: Press Conference Room 2, Blue Zone

Women leaders are building critical strategies for national and international divestment that call for justice and accountability from the financial sector and governments to phase out fossil fuels and deforestation, while advocating for a Just Transition that places people and planet first. During this press conference, speakers will share vital reports and strategies for ending the era of fossil fuels and supporting communities and ecosystems impacted by extractive industries and Indigenous rights violations.

Speakers include: Eriel Tchekwie Deranger (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation), Executive Director, Indigenous Climate Action; Tzeporah Berman, Chair, Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty; Leila Salazar-López, Executive Director, Amazon Watch; and Osprey Orielle Lake, Executive Director of Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN).

Friday, November 11

2:00 - 2:30 |  14:00 - 14:30 Egypt Time

​Where: Press Conference Room 2, Blue Zone

To truly address the root causes, as well as the scope and scale of the climate crisis, the Green New Deal must be cross-cutting in its approach, steadfast in feminist principles, and strive to combat historical oppressions. During this press conference, speakers will discuss the principles of the Feminist Green New Deal and feminist policies and frameworks that are necessary for advancing just climate policies. This press conference is organized by the Feminist Green New Deal Coalition, of which WECAN is a founding member. Please see the Feminist Green New Deal Coalition website here.

Monday, November 14

3:00 - 3:30pm | 15:00 - 15:30 Egypt Time

Where: Press Conference Room 2, Blue Zone

​Indigenous organizations and communities, led by women, are mobilizing locally and globally to protect and defend their communities and territories from governments and corporations that continue to violate Indigenous and human rights, and push forward extractive projects that harm local ecosystems and put communities at risk. During this session Indigenous women from the Amazon Basin will bring forth calls to action for Indigenous rights and protection of forests, water, communities, and the global climate.

Speakers include: Sônia Bone Guajajara (Guajajara), Indigenous Leader from Brazil, Federal Deputy of the National Congress of Brazil, Brazil; Patricia Gualinga (Kichwa), Spokeswoman for Mujeres Amazónicas Defensoras de la Selva (Amazon Women in Defense of the Jungle), Sarayaku, Ecuador; Helena Gualinga (Kichwa), Indigenous Youth Climate Leader, Sarayaku, Ecuador; and Taily Terena (Terena), Indigenous Rights Activist, WECAN Coordinator in Brazil, Brazil.

Tuesday, November 15

11:00 - 11:30am Egypt Time

Where: Press Conference Room 2, Blue Zone

​As humanity faces escalating climate and ecological crises, we seek to articulate a vision toward a new legal framework and economy based on living in balance with Earth’s natural systems; where the rights of humans do not extend to the domination of nature. The Rights of Nature, one of the fastest growing global environmental movements in history, offers a systemic framework for change.

Speakers include: Casey Camp Horinek (Ponca Nation), Ponca Nation Environmental Ambassador and WECAN Board Member; Osprey Orielle Lake, Executive Director of Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN); and Nnimmo Bassey, Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, an ecological think tank; Steering Committee Member of Oilwatch International, Nigeria.

Tuesday, November 15

3:00 - 4:30pm | 15:00 - 16:30 Egypt Time

​Where: Khufu Room, Blue Zone

​At this official UN Side Event, grassroots, frontline and Indigenous women leaders, alongside representatives from international climate justice organizations, will speak out to address root causes of interlocking crises and the need for solutions based in a climate justice framework, including forest and biodiversity protection, Indigenous rights, agro-ecology, fossil fuel resistance, protection of women land defenders, and community-led solutions.

Speakers include: Neema Namadamu, Democratic Republic of Congo Coordinator, Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN), Democratic Republic of Congo; Sônia Bone Guajajara (Guajajara), Indigenous Leader from Brazil, Federal Deputy of the National Congress of Brazil, Brazil; Casey Camp Horinek (Ponca Nation), Ponca Nation Environmental Ambassador and WECAN Board Member, USA; Anne Songole, Climate Justice Coordinator, The African Women’s Development and Communications Network (FEMNET), Kenya; Helena Gualinga (Kichwa), Indigenous Youth Climate Leader, Sarayaku, Ecuador; Eriel Tchekwie Deranger (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation), Executive Director of Indigenous Climate Action, Canada; and Osprey Orielle Lake, Executive Director of Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN).

Wednesday, November 16

2:30 - 3:00pm | 14:30 - 15:00 Egypt Time

​Where: Press Conference Room 2, Blue Zone

​During this press conference, international women leaders will discuss feminist and women-led visions emerging from global movements, share the context and impacts of international climate policies, and discuss strategies, solutions and alternatives towards shaping a healthy and equitable future.

Speakers include: Neema Namadamu, Democratic Republic of Congo Coordinator, Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN), Democratic Republic of Congo; Casey Camp Horinek (Ponca Nation), Ponca Nation Environmental Ambassador and WECAN Board Member, USA; Anne Songole, Climate Justice Coordinator, The African Women’s Development and Communications Network (FEMNET), Kenya; Helena Gualinga (Kichwa), Indigenous Youth Climate Leader, Sarayaku, Ecuador; and Osprey Orielle Lake, Executive Director of Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN).

Thursday, November 17

7:00 - 9:00 PM | 19:00 - 21:00 Egypt Time

​Where: Virtual via Zoom — Register here.

Around the world, peoples’ movements are responding to the escalating climate crisis and rising to address the urgency and needs of people and the planet. Please join us for a wide ranging conversation from women and gender-diverse leaders on the ground at COP27 to report out on negotiations, share highlights, report releases, calls to action, demands from women globally, struggles, and solutions.

On October 31, in the lead up to COP27 in Egypt, WECAN released a new report analyzing G20 countries' gender integration into climate policies.

The report analyzes the level of gender integration - or lack thereof - in the national climate policies and nationally determined contributions (NDCs) of the world’s largest economies, the G20 group. The report finds that despite the increasing acknowledgement that the impacts of climate change vary depending on gender— and the crucial role of women as drivers of climate solutions— gender has yet to be comprehensively or meaningfully integrated into G20 countries’ climate policies. Download the full report here!

The report calls for governments to seriously ramp up efforts to effectively and coherently integrate gender considerations into climate relevant policies, ensuring active participation of women and frontline communities. A growing body of research has firmly established that greater gender equity leads to better climate outcomes. For example, a one unit increase in a country’s score on the Women’s Political Empowerment Index demonstrates an 11.5% decrease in the country’s carbon emissions. Yet overall, the majority of G20 countries have not yet integrated gender in their climate policies, and when gender is mentioned by the G20 countries, it is often superficial and unactionable. More details are available in the press release here. 

On October 14, in an open letter to the Equator Principles Association (EPA), 25 civil society organizations led by BankTrack and the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) called upon the EPA to make a renewed commitment on climate, nature, pandemics, and human and Indigenous rights, before the Principles’ 20th anniversary next year. The call was issued ahead of the EPA’s annual meeting, which was held in South Korea.

The letter makes the case for the EPA to start a process that will lead to an important and necessary expansion of the scope of risks that the Equator Principles (EPs) set out to manage. It calls on the Association and signatory financial institutions to strengthen their commitments in the realms of climate and energy, nature and biodiversity, human and Indigenous rights, and pandemic prevention.

To learn more please see this op-ed published by FairPlanet and written by Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, and Hannah Greep, Banks & Nature Campaign Lead, BankTrack.

The fight continues to stop the Line 5 pipeline in the Great Lakes region! Earlier this year in April, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) facilitated a public comment period in response to the release of the draft EIS as it was ultimately deemed inadequate. Thanks to everyone that submitted a comment in opposition to Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline, there was firm opposition. The analysis conducted by coalition partners, 350 Wisconsin and Sierra Club Wisconsin, reveals that of the 32,000 collected comments that were submitted, 63% of line 5 comments show strong opposition to line 5—with climate, Treaty Rights, waterways ranking among the highest areas of concern. 

For the past months, WECAN has organized meetings between the US Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) and the Indigenous Women’s Treaty Alliance to oppose the pipeline. We have also organized efforts to drive public comments opposing the pipeline to the ACOE. While we await the final results and outcomes, initial analysis has determined that there were more comments against the Line 5 pipeline at the final public hearing. We look forward to those final results in the coming months.

The current Line 5 Pipeline, which is long past its lifespan, is pumping tar sands oil under expired permits, transporting 22 million gallons of crude oil each day through northern Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and under the Straits of Mackinac. Currently, Enbridge is proposing to expand the Line 5 pipeline, despite the strong opposition of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and other Tribes. The new Line 5 pipeline expansion and re-route would threaten local aquifers and waterways, Treaty Rights, and our global climate.

As a part of our efforts to stop the pipeline, WECAN was honored to publish an article in Ms. Magazine highlighting the leadership of 10 Indigenous women fighting to stop Line 5. Frontline communities continue to resist fossil fuel pipelines and infrastructure to avert the worst impacts of escalating interlocking crises. read the full article here.

As Enbridge pushes ahead with its plans for Line 5, WECAN stands firm in our commitment to the Indigenous Women’s Treaty Alliance continuing to mobilize to prevent its development.

The Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) is seeking a part-time Research and Policy Associate to join our dynamic team working for climate justice, systemic change, and women’s and feminist leadership in global climate solutions. This is a part-time position, and is expected to develop into a full-time position.

The Research and Policy Associate will work remotely, with the guidance of WECAN’s Executive Director, to conduct and produce research and writing for policy briefs, reports, and additional documents, and also provide varied support of WECAN programs. Report topics include divestment, fossil fuels, feminist economies, Indigenous rights, women’s rights, and more. Learn more here.

Please stay tuned as we continue to uplift the leadership and solutions of women worldwide fighting for climate justice and the defense of the planet for current and future generations.