Changing Climate, Changing Leadership: Grassroots Women's Groups Model Climate Resiliant Development

This was an issue framing panel discussion and dialogue - sponsored by the Huairou Commission, UNDP, the Permanent Mission of Norway and GROOTS International

As a result of climate change, disasters will increase. Women play an important role - Norway supports women's leadership. Women as change agents, not victims. Between 70 and 80% of those who died in the Tsunami were women. Gender is mainstreamed in financing - earmarked resources. How do other governments focus on gender in climate change strategies?
Women from India - Godavari Dange - helping other women dealing with disasters. 
Resiliency - 4,000 women in India, who have formed a network, doing collective farming. Because of climate change, income has been affected. Have a seed bank. Go to other countries to share what they have learned. 

From Central America, Nicaragua - long history of natural disasters - working on vulnerability. Space for women in government. Working to rescue the original seeds because of the Genetically Modified seeds. They have been able to reforest, and involved in politics at the local level. 
What kinds of partnerships are helpful? Have had good partnerships, have processes that can be duplicate. Need to feed ourselves - the grass roots women from Nicaragua and Honduras, will share with women from Guatemala. Working on reforestation - Have to actually educate others about climate change, and agreements. Working with Nicaragua - disaster management.
Important to develop partnerships, women from rural areas - we are the people that are producing food for many others. Concrete practices - that will become public policies. Achieved a land fund for women in Nicaragua - successful.
Partnerships with governments - Guatemala government spokes person - Lack of fulfillment of women's rights. We need women to be present to make policy. Food security - women are part of civil society in all the discussion processes. High importance, because it looks at all the work of the women. Instead of green revolution, we need to look at the farmer's way. Women's technology supporting all this work. Have to ensure the community can preserve this knowledge. Preserving organic ways, reducing technology. Women have to be seen at the front of these issues. See them as women with knowledge.Seed banks to ensure their communities survive. Isolated communities, been able to keep diversification of crops, and low use of chemicals in their crop production. Need an update of food security plans, and having conversation with women. Policies that strengthen the ancestral knowledge of women. Organization represent over 100,000 women!
Uganda, how women are adapting to climate change in urban areas. Reframing climate change definition - to include urban areas. Key point is housing - ability to access services, sewage, water, settle in unsafe areas. National donors, are unaware of the way the poor are handling risk already. Working with them in a good way to move forward to climate change resilience. Need to engage local, and grassroots women, so we can understand how issues affect them. Adaptation financing mechanisms are being developed, need to ensure gender piece is there.
From the Philippines - leader from 17 grass roots organization. Slum Women's Initiative for Development from Philippines - natural disaster, typhoon, earth quake. Access to housing, livelihood. Use savings to finance water connections. Solid waste management - how to segregate garbage, and can sell some of the garbage. Facing long periods of drought, and unpredictable rain. Also dealing with government privatizing land. Plant trees, solid waste management. map vulnerability of 400 households. Almost all families could not have 2 meals a day. Directly connected to climate change and food security. Training women in gardening, and changing patterns, drought resistant crops. Zero grazing to mitigate food security. 3 Acres of land to start crop growing. Peru - community kitchens, coming from a history of political violence - working to confront economic crisis more recently. Community processes - we have learned from risk mapping, going to live in political vulnerable regions - due to political will. From mapping, women who are single mothers, most affected by earth quake, don't have land title, alternatives needed. A dialogue processes in the cities. Funding by the municipalities -bringing women to participate. We need to be part of regional strategies. Issue of housing, women need to be involved as well as men. Generation of partnerships, and alliances important, so women considered as knowledgeable, and can contribute to community development.

What support would you ask for? Collective from Asia, South America Access funds for multi year - solid waste management, networking, builds resilience. Land purchase for urban gardening.
Major Impact Areas - Awareness of risk and resilience. Core issues - various stakeholders realize the impacts. This is the reality - World disaster report - community answers. Pg 27 world disaster report. 


Comments - from India, sheer numbers. Looking at natural disasters for India. 770 billion people are below age of 35. I FOUND THAT STARTLING BUT I CHECKED IT AND IT'S TRUE. Prime agents of change - working with communities, and empowering women. Small grants in India - World Bank - Starting with values, of giving to next generation, redefining institutional space. Multiple entry points. Community empowerment under women's leadership - some funding from world bank. Giving funding to grassroots women, systems get in the way. A new paradigm - better resource efficiencies - what are we ultimately achieving. We have a model now, we need to believe in the transformational potential of women.
How to be involved: Recommend community based organizations -  become a partner, commit to action.