The topic of the webinar stems from the 2024 theme of the United Nation’s International Women’s Day “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”, and the priority theme of the 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women "Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective”. In embracing these themes, the webinar will highlight grassroots actions needed to redress dynamics that hinder progress on women’s empowerment. Taking KAICIID's collaborative interreligious and intercultural (IRD and ICD) projects and the wisdom of KAICIID Fellows and members of the Network4Dialogue as case studies, the webinar will explore innovative examples and success stories that demonstrate how to transform, through IRD and ICD collaborative action, challenges in key areas impacting women into opportunities. 

The audience will be invited to participate in the webinar's plenary discussion and one of four thematic breakout groups. The participants will be asked to reflect and identify challenges, best practices and sustainable recommendations to redress dynamics that hinder the progress of women's empowerment, thereby transforming challenges and opportunities into sustainable economic solutions for all.  The findings and results gathered in the webinar will serve as starting points in a high-level online meeting to explore how to transform the promise of women's economic empowerment into global action.  

Guiding themes: 

1. Solutions to loss and damage caused by climate-related events 

2.  Successful initiatives empowering women and girls by addressing the intersection of faith, climate, financing and hunger  

3. Adaption of diverse financing strategies towards sustainable support for gender equality 

4. Integration of the efforts faith communities in addressing food insecurity and hunger into the broader gender equality agenda  

Format & Methodology:: 

This webinar has a workshop format, which features full audience participation through interaction with panellists and in thematic breakout groups. The format allows for online collaboration in identifying issues, challenges and recommendations on how to turn the tide against women’s inequality through sustainable economic empowerment. The webinar contributions will facilitate points of conversation, in a follow-up high-level online meeting with representatives of international faith organizations spearheading advocacy and influencing policy for gender equality.