At this year’s CSW68, the climate crisis was front and center – from its disproportionate impact on women and girls to, more encouragingly, what gender-equal solutions can look like, and how women and girls are leading change.
“55 Stories of Change” is a collection of Generation Equality Feminist Action for Climate Justice (FACJ) Action Coalition impact stories showcasing the power of collaboration -- across stakeholders at all levels -- to make a real difference towards realizing a gender-equal green and sustainable future for all.
"Our biggest achievement is being part of a coalition that allows us to co-create projects and programmes with other youth organizations based on our visions, agendas and realities,” said Natalia Tsuyama, FACJ Action Coalition Youth Leader and Public Policy Specialist and Climate Activist, Associação de Jovens Engajamundo / Engajamundo Youth Association in Brazil.
Fellow 55 Stories of Change contributor and FACJ Action Coalition commitment maker, Marianne Berger Marjanovic (Senior Adviser/Culture, Nordic Council of Ministers) affirmed, "For the green transition to be effective and just, we need to recognize the different impacts of the climate crisis on women and men. This is why mainstreaming is key."
The 55 Stories of Change publication was launched at a CSW event at UN Headquarters on March 14. Co-hosted by the Netherlands, Nordic Council of Ministers, United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Generation Equality’s FACJ Action Coalition, and Femmes Santé Climat / Women Health Climate – with co-sponsors UN Women, Fridays for Future MAPA, IUCN, Pathfinder, and Engajamundo – the event highlighted some of the 55 innovative and transformative actions being taken at the intersection of the climate change crisis and gender equality.
“Plan International is happy to be a contributor to the FACJ publication, 55 Stories of Change, and excited about the launch. Multistakeholder partnerships, including strong partnerships with young people, girls and local communities, are critical in addressing the impact of climate change. We must work together and across sectors and connect local to global efforts through innovative approaches,” said Juli-Collette Nsah Bongsiisy, FACJ commitment maker and Regional Policy, Advocacy and Research Lead for Plan International West and Central Africa.
These stories of change – by 55 from the over 150 organizations or groups of organizations who have made FACJ commitments – highlight actions under four priority areas:
- Increasing direct access to financing for gender-just climate solutions, in particular for women and girls at grassroots levels.
- Enabling women and girls to lead a just transition to a green economy.
- Building the resilience of women and girls to climate impacts, disaster risks, loss and damage, including through land rights and tenure security.
- Increasing the collection and use of data on the gender-environment nexus.
In contributing to the publication, Farzana Faruk Jhumu (Climate Activist, Fridays for Future MAPA, from Bangladesh and FACJ Action Coalition Youth Leader) said, “55 Stories of Change is a mural of the feminist climate justice movement and our work in one publication, and it shows how we are building a collective movement. This is a celebration of how far our coalition has come and a reminder that other feminist organizations are looking at us. I'm so excited to let the world see our achievements as a feminist collective."
The ‘55 Stories of Change’ publication is the result of a collaboration between UN Women and the French civil society organization Femmes Santé Climate / Women Health Climate, an FACJ commitment maker. The stories highlight commitment makers across governments, civil society, grassroots women-led and youth-led organizations, international organizations, philanthropies, multilateral development banks, and the private sector.
"As a coalition, we aim to amplify our voice, share our concrete actions, and scale our programs,” said FACJ Action Coalition commitment maker and Co-editor of 55 Stories of Change, Louisa Renoux, who is also the Chair of Femmes Santé Climat Chair /Women Health Climate. “We decided to share these 55 stories of change and make our members and their innovations known."
To see the full 55 Stories of Change publication -- showing both the impact of the FACJ Action Coalition, and the urgency of continuing to accelerate feminist climate justice and gender equality – please read on.
