Dhaka, Bangladesh - Five local women leaders received the Women's Role in Combating Climate Change Impact Award 2024, for their community-driven climate adaptation initiatives at the Annual Community of Practice Network Convention held on 6 October 2024 in Dhaka.
Organized by the Manusher Jonno Foundation with support from UN Women, the event brought together young women leaders and experts to strengthen women’s leadership in climate resilience and promote collaboration among civil society organizations. Receiving awards were:
- Shafali Begum, from Dewanganj, Jamalpur District, a midwife and founder of a community-based organization supporting pregnant women during emergencies and ensuring safe childbirth in floods
- Rahima Khatun, from Dewanganj, a community disaster response volunteer and leader in crisis response during floods and cold waves
- Suroti Begum, from Dewanganj, who established a Personal Seed Bank to promote food security and build food resilience within her community
- Rowshan Akter, from Chakaria, Cox’s Bazar District, a leader in large-scale tree plantation, promoting climate-adaptive agriculture, and raising awareness on sustainable farming practices
- Roshna Khatun, from Panchgachhi, Kurigram District, who founded the Kuripata handloom artisan group, empowering around 40 women and girls with skills training and economic opportunities to support their families and build resilience
“I have been volunteering for my community since adolescence, yet I have never received recognition for my efforts,” said Khatun after receiving her award. “So this moment is incredibly meaningful to me, as it confirms that I have truly made a positive impact on my community. I started a small initiative with only 10 women and adolescent girls, and today we are a group of 50. I want women from every household to be empowered.”
The convention, organized under the EmPower: Women for Climate Resilient Societies (Phase-II) project, funded by the Governments of Germany, Sweden and Switzerland and implemented by UN Women and Manusher Jonno Foundation, also launched the Women’s Climate Action Network. This network of 100 grass-roots, women-led civil society organizations provides a unified voice to address violence and social discrimination intensified by climate change, and to influence gender-responsive climate policies and actions.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, Climate Change and Water Resources, highlighted the gender inequities in climate discussions. “The chapter on gender is always placed last in policy documents,” she noted, stressing the often-overlooked role of women who bear significant burdens from climate impacts. She said developed nations are responsible for funding climate resilience efforts in developing countries but often fall short. However, “Sweden is one of the countries that share the appropriate amount, as per the loss and damage policy,” she added.
The Head of Development Cooperation at the Embassy of Sweden in Bangladesh, Maria Stridsman, said: “Bangladesh’s responsibility for climate change is very minute. To deal with the effects of climate change, Bangladesh should receive support from countries that emit far more carbon than they do.”
UN Women Representative Gitanjali Singh said: “Bangladesh has long demonstrated that transformative adaptation can only happen through grass-roots women’s leadership. True transformation in climate resilience will only be possible if women’s perspectives are integrated into policymaking at all levels.”
UN Women will strengthen the Women’s Climate Action Network to amplify the voice and policy impact of women-led organizations.