We participated at UN Climate Conference COP25 with a delegation of activist from all over the word, to make sure frontline communities are represented and have the chance to bring their local struggles to the international negotiations.

© Annabelle Avril / WECF

Antonia is Chilean geographer and holds a master’s degree in Anthropology, Environment and Development at University College London. She works at the Observatory of Social Inequalities at Diego Portales University and has been co-designing and coordinates the project “School of Female Leaders in Socio-environmental and Territorial topics”, implemented for women from rural areas of Central Chile. Her work bridges the gap between academia and social movements by analysing environmental problems, their actors  and and processes, as well as gender dynamics, both in private and public spheres. “Throughout all this, I am guided by a deep commitment to local communities, feminism and environmental justice.”

© LIFE e.V.

Lilian engages in climate change dialogues at COP25 with interest on issues concerning women and indigenous peoples. “Pastoralists and rural communities back home in Tanzania are affected by prolonged and severe droughts which are affecting their livelihoods as well.” She criticizes that the Global North profits from years of industrialisation while the pollution affects and challenges poor communities the most. While the UN Climate conferences have been going on for the past 25 years, Lilian does not see real commitments and implementable actions that will reduce greenhouse gases. “Full financial support is needed, so countries in the Global South have the capacity to mitigate climate change threats.”

© LIFE e.V.

Yolène’s presence at COP25, as a expert for the Customary council of Djubea Kapumë, allows her to lay the groundwork for the action of New Caledonia with regard to discrimination against  indigenous women, particularly with a high rate of femicides. Knowing that women are those who carry the breath of life and who transmit ancestral knowledge, adaptation to climate change, either at the level of human rights, social rights or economic rights, she is worried about a general lack of awareness. ”This lack of protection of our fundamental rights and a lack of enhancement of gender equality affect our actions as mothers, daughters, in the face of the climate crisis.”

© LIFE e.V.

Taily is a indigenous youth women of the Terena nation of Brazil. As part of the National Council of Indigenous Women, Taily is at COP25 to address the issues that indigenous peoples are facing with the climate crisis in their communities especially the women and youth. She believes that is time for action and despite the lack of ambition of governments,  and the differences of nations we need to work together as one. “There is no other mother as mother Earth.” She advocates for human rights, indigenous peoples rights and gender equality to guarantee a just transition.

© LIFE e.V.

Tamani is a young, indigenous, gender non conforming climate justice activist from Fiji who is concerned about the violations of human rights during climate disasters. Coming from a region (Pacific) with more than 60% of women having experienced gender based violence, the issue only escalates in such vulnerable conditions.“For Pacific people climate change is not a stand alone issue. It intersects with their health, their land and their lived realities of violence”. Through their youth network (Fiji Youth SRHR Alliance), young Fijians are empowering each other of their basic human rights including the rights to their sexual and reproductive health.

© LIFE e.V.

German activist Lea Scheffler is interested in climate engineering and the role it plays in national and international climate politics. „We need to make very clear that such technofixes can never replace serious emission reductions“ she says. She is concerned that governments use the prospect of technologies such as Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Sequestration (BECCS) or Direct Air Capture and Sequestration (DACS) to avoid shifting to renewables and reorganizing societies in a just and sustainable way. Relying on large-scale implementation of basically non-existing technofixes threatens intergenerational equity, human rights, land rights, food security and has severely gendered impacts.

This project is implemented in collaboration with Women’s Environment and Development Organisation (WEDO) and the Women and Gender Constituency. It is financed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH with fund of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of Germany.