One Billion Rising for Climate Justice

The ONE BILLION RISING FOR JUSTICE campaign is a recognition that we cannot end violence against women without ending all intersecting forms of oppression and injustice:  poverty, racism, homophobia, war, the plunder of the environment, capitalism, imperialism, and patriarchy.

The impacts of climate change and environmental degradation are different for women and men. Women from low-income communities, Indigenous women, and those in developing countries bear a heavier burden from the impacts of climate change because they are more reliant upon natural resources for survival, or they inhabit areas with poor infrastructure, or their rights are being violated.

Due to extreme and increasing droughts, women and girls in Africa have to walk long distances to fetch drinking water foregoing economic opportunities and education. Women walk further into the forest to search for fuel wood, putting them more at risk to be attacked and raped. Women make up 20 of the 26 million estimated refugees displaced by climate change, comprising 80% of the world’s climate refugees.

Because women are responsible for food production and the collection of water and fuel wood, they are particularly aware of changing weather patterns that alter growing seasons, decrease crop yields and lower water levels.  This knowledge is essential to adaption and mitigation strategies. When these women farmers are empowered and own more than 1% of land and wealth, we will see food security.

Women in North America determine 80 percent of all consumer purchases. That market power could be mobilized to significantly reduce carbon emissions through purchasing choices, including demanding an end to fossil fuels and a radical increase in renewable energy. We imagine women demanding a change to endless economic growth models and to current consumption patterns that are destroying our Earth.

We can’t ignore the historical and interrelated destructive treatment of both women and nature in our current dominator model of societies.  The longstanding history of violating the Earth and violating women is deeply rooted in the same problem and societal imbalances. To achieve long term solutions, we will need to deal with root causes and systemic change and this will mean liberating the silenced and oppressed voices of women and nature.

Together we stand for the Earth and future generations.

TAKE ACTION!

In collaboration with One Billion Rising For Justice, on February 14, 2014, WECAN (Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network) will take ACTION for Mother Earth and Climate Justice!

Join us and photograph or video what climate justice looks like for your community. We want to continue to express urgency, climate justice, solutions and the need to act now.

  • Showcase climate injustice in your community like an activist who is highlighting the effects of the tar sands pipeline.
  • Document solutions, testimonies and successes of environmental/climate justice –like the activist chronicling her organic farm and local women farmers showing how local organic farms are key to climate change solutions.
  • Sign the WECAN Declaration
  • Upload photos and videos here
  • See all the WECAN Women and Climate Justice Actions here: www.wecaninternational.org
  • Download the WECAN logo

We encourage you to represent your own organization and also the collective action by showing the WECAN logo and WECAN Declaration, so there is both an individual statement and a collective action. WECAN’s Four Guiding Principles are the Rights of Women, the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Rights of Nature and the Rights of Future Generations.

Osprey Orielle Lake, Founder/President, Women’s Earth and Climate Caucus and Co-Founder WECAN www.wecaninternational.org

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Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network participants and supporters of Women and Climate Justice Day of Action with 1Billion Rising. #rise4justice #WECAN_INTL

– Climate Change & Development NGO Alliance
– European Institute of Law, Science, and Technology
Arab Youth Climate Movement (AYCM)
SIGLO XXIII and MUSEO AJA
Moroccan Youth and Climate
Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)
Reacción Climática
Global Gender and Climate Alliance (GGCA)
Sweet Africa Foundationhttp://www.gen-africa.org
Environmental Forum of Marin
Sustainable Obtainable Solutions
Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Hiwot Hailu, Activist
Indigenous Environmental Network
Voice of Women Maldives
1 Million Women
Earth Circle, Women’s Donor Network
Global Ecovillage Network Europe
President Halonens Office, Finland
GGCA Uganda
Sustainable Waste Design
Solar Sisters
SAFECO – Synergy of Congolese Women’s Associations
Loli Aniau, Makaala Aniau – (Climate Change Climate Alert CCCA)
NAACP
CommonLawgic
Gathering Tribes and Idle No More
The Global Call for Climate Action (GCCA)
National Farmers Union of Canada
Nobel Women’s Initiative
Captain Planet Foundation
NEFIN Global Climate Change
Global Forest Coalition
Chintan International Trust