For centuries, African women have played an invaluable role in protecting and preserving the earth. And today, these women are seen as the frontline in the global fight against climate change. They are mostly the ones driving local community-led climate solutions, which are both adaptive and mitigative in nature with impacts not only left at national levels but also globally. In spite of their commitment and leadership, African women disproportionately experience the adverse effects of climate change due to their close connection to natural resources and responsibilities within households. As primary caregivers and food providers, they are directly impacted by shifts in weather patterns, reduced agricultural yields, and water scarcity, often being forced to adapt and find innovative solutions to sustain their families and communities. Their integral role in addressing environmental challenges, advocating for sustainable practices, and driving climate action cannot be understated.
Participating in the African Climate Summit within the Regional Climate Week in Nairobi August 30 – September 9, 2023 was an unrivalled opportunity to actively and meaningfully engage with other civil society organisations, government bodies and UN agencies on issues pertaining to climate change and its inextricable effects on our community and environment, most especially on women, adolescents and young people, children, and the ecosystem.
Along the margin of the African Climate Summit was the launch of the African Women and Gender Constituency (WGC-Africa), an umbrella arm of WGC, which remains one of the nine (09) UNFCCC constituencies. Wfac alongside other pan African feminist organisations such as FEMNET, WEP Nigeria, Akina Mama wa Afrika (AmWa), Support for Women in Agriculture and Environment (SWAGEN), & Gender for Climate Change all played a crucial role in the thought leadership as well as co-designing and establishment of the Africa Women and Gender Constituency.
The Africa Women and Gender Constituency seeks to share knowledge and exchange learnings, mobilise, and galvanise efforts and commitments from both civil society representatives, government and UN agencies in the fight for women’s just representation and inclusion in climate change response processes of mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage and financing. And as a continental force, one of the main important spaces to influence would be the African Climate Week and Summit.
The African Climate Summit / Week (ACW) is a yearly convening which provides the continent the opportunity to mobilise and galvanise efforts and commitments from stakeholders interested in advancing climate justice and actions, and most importantly sustainable solutions.
“With the whole continent and the world now focused on Africa ahead of COP28, we must now collectively decide and commit to a greener future for our continent and draw from the conclusions of last year’s summit, as we take another step forward towards advancing climate justice”- Dr. Zoneziwoh, Wfac ED
The 2023 ACW was held in Kenya estimated to have brought together almost 50 000 delegates from all 50 African countries, with the theme: “Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World”. Wfac in her continuous efforts and commitments to climate justice sent a three-person delegation to Nairobi for the regional climate week. The delegates participated in different sessions and meetings at the summit, speaking and holding interviews at some of the events, making interventions that sought to promote climate action and resilience within the continent and beyond. However, prior to the climate week, Wfac took to the streets, asking adolescent girls and boys, women and young people for recommendations which will be echoed at the regional summit [Watch Video on YouTube].
Participating in the climate summit was an opportunity to mobilise, galvanise and reaffirm efforts and commitments from civil society organisations, the private sector, governments, and UN agencies on climate action with some over 20 heads of states from the continent to closely elaborate on the continuous damaging effects of the climate crisis within Africa, and the different measures required to curb its rapidly growing effects on human life and the ecosystem.
Participating in different side events helped to address some of the current questions of what other civil society organisations, governments and UN agencies are doing in terms of responding to climate change. Though many delegations shared the incredible contributions and achievements so far in reducing the emission of greenhouse gas and advancing a carbon free society in their respective countries, Africa is still massively lacking in terms of climate financing and the realisation of other global goals which directly and/ or indirectly reflects on the achievement of climate justice. The Head of State, His Excellency William Ruto of Kenya in his opening remarks called for the continent to view the climate challenges as more than just a problem, but also an opportunity to attract multi billion economic opportunities, and target increased climate finance for the continent.
With women and young people most often excluded and marginalised from meaningfully engaging and participation in climate change response processes, most importantly in the aspects and processes of adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage, and financing, it was imperative to have an inclusive and intergenerational dialogue on their roles and responsibilities as key stakeholders and champions for climate justice as most often than not, the adverse effects of climate change affects the gender and demographics most. It was important to get the commitments of government delegations and UN agencies at this year’s climate summit who committed to restrengthen existing policies that include an intergenerational and intersectional approach in its implementation as gender mainstreaming is also key in achieving climate justice.
At the climate summit, governments and other stakeholders called for a recommitment to an equitable climate finance distribution, especially to Africa who emits the least but yet, suffers the most effects of climate change. These discussions and declarations anchored Africa’s position ahead of COP28
Over 30,000 delegates participated at the year’s summit, thus informing us on the need for a more inclusive, intersectional and intergenerational approach to climate change adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage, and financing.
To conclude, it was such a joy to have Wfac alongside members of the WGC-Africa co-organized the first Africa Gender Day in the history of the African Climate Week.
