Women’s Voices for a Sustainable Future is a webinar event to commemorate efforts around the world to lead the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, to build a more sustainable future for all.  Leaders in women’s empowerment will discuss the importance of women as effective and powerful leaders and change-makers for climate adaptation and mitigation.

This year, the 66th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66), the UN’s largest annual gathering on gender equality and women’s empowerment, will meet to discuss achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental disaster, and disaster risk reduction. According to the World Economic Forum, women and girls have a crucial role in achieving the climate targets set at COP26. As valuable members of society, they deserve to participate equally in public life. Their participation generates more effective and equitable climate outcomes. Research demonstrates that due to socially prescribed gender roles, women assess risk differently to men and typically prioritise the welfare of their families and communities in resource-management decisions. Such differences in decision-making extend to national politics, a 2019 study found that national parliaments with more women pass more stringent climate policies, measures that improve women’s access to healthcare.The all-female panel aims to answer questions and reflect on how faith-based initiatives prove the value of women’s participation for a more sustainable future, how faith can play a role in strengthening participation in this field, and what challenges exist in implementing female led sustainability projects.