NEW NARRATIVES, MEDIA AND RESEARCH
Over the course of WECAN International’s history - storytelling, media, and research have always been of paramount importance, as we seek to bring the stories of global women and girls to light, and demonstrate the importance of women, Indigenous Peoples, and frontline communities as agents of climate justice and solutions in these times of great urgency and change.
We work actively to expose and oppose socio-ecological violence, inequity, and extraction through our media and storytelling work - however, we also believe that providing narratives of the healthy and just world we seek is central to envisioning our future and to growing our movements.
Our ‘New Narratives, Media and Research’ program is designed to shift the narrative, and to challenge dominant systems of exploitation and oppression as we collect and generate stories about struggles and solutions for climate justice around the world.
We invite you to learn more about our efforts to change the conversation on climate change, women’s leadership, and community-led solutions.
Women Speak:
Stories, Case Studies, And Solutions
From The Frontlines Of Climate Change
Art by Jade Leyva
In the face of the hottest temperatures ever recorded, the displacement of millions around the world, and the devastating impacts of environmental degradation on the Earth and our diverse communities – the most pressing story that needs to be heard is that of women on the frontlines of climate change.
Women are impacted first and worst by climate change, yet are simultaneously essential actors in local and global solutions. Studies worldwide demonstrate that women must be engaged at all levels of participation, leadership and decision-making to build effective and just social and ecological programs and communities. And yet, the voice and rights of women often continue to be suppressed and ignored. As CNN and Media Matters have reported, only 15% of those interviewed in the media on climate change have been women.
‘Women Speak: Stories, Case Studies And Solutions From The Frontlines Of Climate Change’ is a web-based research database and initiative designed to shift the narrative and to challenge dominant systems of exploitation and oppression of women and the Earth, as we collect and share many hundreds, and ultimately many thousands, of stories by and about women leading struggles and solutions for climate justice under a variety of cross-sectional themes.
The goal is to create an accessible and ever-growing source of information, research and multimedia storytelling for frontline Earth defenders, policy makers, journalists, activists, educators, students, and all those seeking to understand and demonstrate why and how women are paramount to just action on climate change, and the defense and protection of the web of life itself.
After extensive research collection for the compilation of this database – the stories, struggles and solutions included in the ‘Women Speak’ initiative represent just a fraction of the millions of indispensable actions being taken by women around the world – much of which remains undocumented and unpublished. The ‘Women Speak’ database will grow ongoingly with and for our movements for climate justice and future generations.
As the oceans and temperatures rise, so do the women of the world.
Articles and Multi-Media Storytelling
Neema Namadamu, WECAN Coordinator in the DR Congo getting
interviewed by CBC journalists at COP27 in Egypt.
Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
WECAN's Communications Coordinator documents WECAN advocacy at the UN General Assembly and Climate Week in new York City, 2022.
Photo Credit: WECAN International
As part of our work on various campaigns, events, frontline delegations, regional solutions projects, and solidarity actions - WECAN International is committed to documenting and sharing important stories from the field.
From covering actions and efforts led by Indigenous women in Ecuador; to photographing and interviewing women leaders of the Standing Rock, North Dakota Access Pipeline movement; to publishing op-eds in response to Trump Administration attacks; to producing videos documenting the work of women forest defenders in the Tongass rainforest - our WECAN Communications team believes in bringing to the forefront the ideas and voices that are most often under-represented or repressed in conversations on climate change and social justice.
Research
WECAN International conducts research throughout the year for campaigns and specific reports, working with the WECAN Research Associate, partner organizations, and volunteers. Report topics include divestment, fossil fuels, feminist economies, Indigenous rights, women’s rights, and more. Please find recent reports at the button below.
Social Media
WECAN International maintains an active presence on Facebook and Twitter, where we work strategically to grow our network, and share important news articles, videos and graphics which uplift an intersectional analysis for social justice, gender justice, racial justice, economic justice, and climate justice. We reach hundreds of thousands of viewers, and update postings daily - in what we consider to be vital work of public and decentralized political and cultural education.
Join us on social media today, and please share our social media channels widely!