Engender blog

Climate Change is a Feminist Issue

Over the next two weeks COP26 is taking place in Glasgow, where governments will negotiate actions and rules for addressing climate change.

We all know that climate change is a feminist issue, particularly because the effects are already being felt disproportionately by women and communities of colour across the world. If you want to find out more, Gal-dem’s new series ‘It’s Happening Now’, explores the effect of the climate crisis and campaigns for change to address its effects on marginalised communities in the UK and around the world. They are publishing a series of articles during, and beyond, COP26 which you can access here.

Alongside the state negotiations at COP26, there will be a huge amount of civil society action happening as well. Our colleagues at Close the Gap have published their briefing for the Scottish Government on Global Ambitions for COP26, calling for a transition to net-zero that works for women, which you can read here. The COP26 Coalition have loads of information about how to get involved, including details about the mass mobilisation in Glasgow on the 6th November. Stop Climate Chaos are also co-ordinating the Climate Fringe, and their website has information about the many talks, events and installations that are happening alongside COP26, both online and in-person. A particular pick of ours is hosted by our sisters at Glasgow Women’s Library: Decolonising Women’s Rights: Indigenous Perspectives, welcoming Sikowis Nobiss, Plains Cree/Saulteaux and founder of Great Plains Action Society, who is an important voice on Indigenous rights at COP26. The event is currently fully booked but you can find more information and join the waiting list here.

There are also plenty of arts and cultural events happening during COP26, and we like the look of The Word for World is Forest at the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow, which brings together three perspectives on climate change from very different regions of the world. In Dundee, NEoN Digital Arts are hosting the Wired Women Festival from 10-13th November, coinciding with COP26 including the exhibition Assuming the Eco-Sexual position and online Q&A with the artists Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle. Dardishi are also holding Red-Gold reflections, a month of online events exploring sustainability and ecological practices between Morocco and the UK.

We’ll be updating you on what the negotiations and (potential) agreements at COP26 mean for women’s equality over the next few weeks, so watch this space.

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