International Women’s Day 2014 theme this year is INSPIRE CHANGE calling for advocacy for women’s advancement everywhere in every way, and challenging the status quo for women’s equality to bring positive change. In light of this wonderfully stirring theme, we’ve also made it the March theme for the 1 Million Women blog! We’ll be sharing the inspiring stories of women from all walks of life, who are changing the world for the better everyday. Never think that 1 person can’t make a difference, because we can and together we are a community of women changing the world!
Today we’re celebrating Liane Schalatek the Associate Director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, North America.
Persistent, focused, trying to persuade with knowledge
2. Tell us a little about the work you do, and what you are doing at present?
My name is Liane Schalatek and I am working with the Heinrich Böll Foundation , which is a German non-profit political foundation close to the German Green party and its philosophy, in their North America office where I focus my work on climate finance – the money needed to help shift the current fossil-fuel driven development trajectory of developed and developing country toward low-carbon and climate-resilient pathways that respect and support people and nature.
A central focus of my work at the moment is on the Green Climate Fund, a new international fund, which is currently being operationalized, meaning prepared to receive and disburse funding. The GCF could become the most significant multilateral climate finance instrument and could have tens of billions of dollars to support developing countries in shifting their development trajectories and in addressing the impacts of climate change. My work is focused on ensuring that the poorest countries and the poorest and most marginalized population groups, including women – those in Africa or small island states – who are already most severely impacted by climate change, will profit from the investment decisions that this new fund will make.
The GCF provides also a special opportunity: it is the first international climate fund which has included the mandate for a “gender-sensitive approach” to its funding in its charter from the very beginning. All other existing climate funds were set up largely gender-blind, meaning the understanding that men and women are affected differently by climate change and have – because of cultural gender norms, persisting discriminations and differentiated access to resources, political participation and decision-making – therefore very different capabilities to addressing climate change.
Since the GCF was first conceptualized and designed in 2011 and through its now six meetings of the Board of the GCF, I have worked persistently, stubbornly, and armed with knowledge and climate finance expertise (badgering Board members at every single meeting) to ensure that the Board takes its mandate seriously and integrates a gender perspective into all its policies and decisions. If the GCF really implements a gender-sensitive approach in its work, this would truly transform which projects and programs will be funded and how the common people on the ground will benefit from these projects and programs.
3. What inspires you?
I am inspired by the many terrific women (and men) I meet in my work on climate change and climate finance, sustainable development and gender equality. Most of us are not in for the good compensation, or the cushy job or the opportunity to climb a career ladder, but because we believe that we need to fundamentally shift the way economic and financial forces are driving the planet and its people into despair and ruin. And having two daughters myself, I want them to be able to bring up their children in a world where all of us can have a decent life with respect for all and nature, and not a greedy consumption-driven life with too much for the few at the expense of too many and the environment.
4. What do you think are the unique strengths of women taking action on climate change and living better for the planet?
Women bring importantly different perspectives to actions on climate change, ones that are often more rooted in communities and families and people’s well-being, that don’t see climate change as a scientific problem with easy technological fixes, that perceive the interconnected of our actions and that don’t look at climate change in isolation. Women also often have a more collaborative style to problem-solving, mindful of their own weaknesses and appreciative of others strengths that is often missing in climate negotiations which is still very much conducted as a power play with potential winners and losers.
5. What do you hope to see happening in the next year in relation to forming a women’s climate action agenda?
I like to see more outreach and mobilization of ordinary men and women, just as 1million women does. We need to take away the feeling of helplessness that so many folks have who believe that they won’t be able to make a difference in a problem as massive as climate change. And we need to give normal people who don’t live and breathe climate change as a passion or profession different ways and differentiated opportunities to engage – with as much or little as they can afford with time, money, political commitment. In the aggregate, many small contributions do provide the sustained popular groundswell that we need to regain (and have lost after the failure of the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Summit).
I also like to see a women’s climate action agenda being part of what large and powerful climate groups consider to be “their” action agenda – not a side-lined add-on, but an essential part of every climate strategy. This takes of course powerful voices from the women’s movements, but it takes also dedicated outreach and “winning over” of mainstream colleagues working on climate in all capacities, especially in the sciences. It would be great for example to have a stronger discourse on gender and climate change and the role of women in the highly regarded expert reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the IPCC).
6. We know the time to act on climate change is now. Do you have an inspiring message or a call to action you would like to share with our 1 Million Women community?
Your contribution makes a difference – no matter how small or insignificant you might feel it is. Care about what is happening; share with family, colleagues and friends your thoughts and hopes and outrage; take responsibility and action yourself – in the way you live and consume or in who you support or vote for. Anything and everything helps.
All throughout March we’re sharing the stories of women from around the world taking action on Climate Change, who inspire us, and inspire change!
- Meet more inspiring women here