Zonta Says Now to Climate Action

Call to Action

Zonta International’s Statement on Climate Change is a call to action for members around the world.

Zonta International Statement on Climate Change

Think Tanks – Zonta Says NOW USA

Learn about Water and Climate change in this second think tank in the Zonta Climate Series

Continuing our discussion on water, we will be joined by the following two experts.

Valerie Cleland advocates for policies that protect and restore our oceans. Prior to joining the National Resources Defense Council, she was a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellow in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where she worked to develop, analyze and guide oceans legislation through the committee process.

Alyson Meyer Gould is a staff attorney and director of policy for the Colorado Water Trust. She previously worked in private practice, focusing on the representation of water districts, contractors and property owners in federal, state and water court, and administrative proceedings.

Stay tuned for information on our third session, which will be held in September.

Climate and Water

Summary of Recommendations from Zonta on Climate and Gender

The statement clearly outlines the case of climate change being a gender equality issue and highlights the following key actions.

Zonta International and Clubs should Ask Governments:

Asks governments that have not yet signed the Paris Agreement to sign the Paris Agreement.
Asks governments who signed the Paris Agreement to actively take into account human rights, gender equality and empowerment of women and girls in defining and implementing their national climate action plans, including gender-responsive measures that are more effective and respectful of human rights.
Calls for governments and policymakers to uphold the principles of climate justice agreed to in the Paris Agreement and ensure that the most marginalized groups do not bear the brunt of the climate crisis.
Calls on Governments to set up more gender-balanced governing bodies to integrate gender-sensitive climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning, as per SDG 13.2 and the Paris Agreement.
Calls on Governments to arrange education for girls and support girls’ access to education.
Calls on Governments to include basic education on climate change and its consequences to nature and societies for all students, recognizing and addressing the social and economic factors aggravated by climate change (as per SDG13.3.1).
Calls on Governments to ensure that climate adaptation and mitigation plans address the unique needs of women and the barriers to women’s full participation in the economy, including:
- Childcare and elder-care services.
- Occupational segregation.
- Informal work.
- The gender pay gap.
- Legal and social restrictions.
Calls on Governments to include women in the formation of disaster preparedness and response plans. These plans should:
- Recognize the unique needs of women and girls.
- Prioritize their health and safety.
- Include responses to gender-based violence.

Zonta Member Action

Zonta International calls on its members to:

Increase their own awareness of climate change and on its gender-related consequences and raise awareness locally.
Include gendered climate change advocacy actions in their advocacy plans.
Support the inclusion of women at the national and local tables of decision-makers on environmental sustainability.
Promote girls’ education and the inclusion of climate literacy in schools, as well as to promote girls’ science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) studies to increase gendered scientific and technical contributions to climate change mitigation.
Advocate for national policies that take into account women’s economic opportunities and ensures their full and equal participation in the economy.