For immediate release – The Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) has released a Call to Action on March 22, World Water Day, urging governments to take transformative action to protect global water sources by enacting a rights-based approach and ensuring women’s leadership in decision making spaces.

The most recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released March 20, clearly notes how climate change has already caused widespread impacts on human systems and altered terrestrial, freshwater and ocean ecosystems worldwide. Within this context, the Call to Action provides analysis and studies demonstrating how women’s leadership and rights-based approaches can protect freshwater and ocean ecosystems worldwide.

The Call to Action is released as part of the UN 2023 Water Conference being held in New York City from March 22-24. It will be shared publicly during a formal virtual UN side event, “Women for Climate Justice Leading Protection of Water," hosted by WECAN and open to the public. See all event details below.

Women for Climate Justice Leading Protection of Water - Virtual Event

Thursday March 23, 2023, 2:00 pm NYC Eastern Time

Spanish and English Interpretation Available

Register here.

Speakers include:

• Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons | Band of Ojibwe, Ojibwe Elder, Women of Wellbriety, International, United Nations Observer on Women/Indigenous Issues, Turtle Island/USA

• Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner | Poet, Director for Marshallese youth nonprofit Jo-Jikum, and Climate Envoy, Marshall Islands

• Alexandra Narvaez (Cofán) | Indigenous rights & Land Defender, Goldman Prize Winner, Ecuador

• Maude Barlow | Founding Member of the Council of Canadians, Co-Founder, the Blue Planet Project, Canada

• Aurora Conley | Bad River Ojibwe, Anishinaabe Environmental Protection Alliance, Turtle Island/USA

• Vasser Seydel | President at The Oxygen Project, USA

• Moderation and Comments by Osprey Orielle Lake | Executive Director, Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN)