She Leads advocates push for climate action at the UN Human Rights Council
Climate change is causing an alarming amount of loss and harm to people's lives and means of subsistence worldwide. Girls and young women are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis, since it exacerbates already existing inequalities. At the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, She Leads advocates have pushed for climate action that puts gender equality at its core and addresses the specific needs of all age groups.
Global advocacy
The Human Rights Council (HRC) is the main global body focusing on human rights. Their sessions and the concurring side events constitute a major advocacy platform at the global level. She Leads aims at increasing sustained influence of girls and young women on decision-making and the transformation of gender norms in formal and informal institutions. At the 56th HRC session, three She Leads advocates, Felicity, Korotoumou and Bernice, represented a cohort of girls and young women from Africa and the Middle East. Focusing on multiple priorities including climate, they delivered statements, worked on resolutions, were meeting stakeholders including the Special Rapporteur on Climate Change and participated in side-events.
Impact of climate change on girls and young women
Droughts and irregular rainfall patterns brought on by climate change cause crop failures, livestock losses, and even the destruction of homes worldwide. Millions of people have been displaced, disrupting their lives and livelihoods and further limiting their access to basic necessities. Women, especially young women and girls are the first and most impacted in any crisis, whether natural or man-made. Socio-cultural norms and gender roles often dictate that girls and young women are responsible for meeting the needs of their families. As a result, they face numerous challenges, such as early marriage for financial gain, dropping out of school to care for family members, and exposure to severe safety risks while living as refugees.
Gender equality at core of climate justice
Girls and young women bear the brunt of multifaceted inequalities, according to the She Leads statement that Bernice delivered at the Human Rights Council. Climate justice is a gender-and-age-sensitive issue that requires gender-and-age-appropriate solutions. "Take into account multifaceted and sustainable solutions that put gender equality at its core and address the specific needs of all age groups."
She Leads is a five-year joint programme of Plan International Netherlands, Defence for Children - ECPAT the Netherlands, African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET), and Terre des Hommes Netherlands, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
