ISLAMABAD: The Gender Climate Award was held on Wednesday to recognise women’s commitment, leadership and concrete initiatives in the fight against climate change and its effects in three categories — climate action, green enterprise and young climate journalism.

To celebrate the contributions of Pakistani women in climate action, the embassies of France and the United Arab Emirates, the Delegation of the European Union, the French Development Agency (AFD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Civil Society Coalition for Climate Change (CSCCC) held the ceremony of the second edition of the Gender Climate Award.

The proud winners of the Pakistan Gender Climate Award 2024 were Qandeel Rehman (Climate Action), Umbreen Arif (Green Enterprise) and Khalida Niaz (Young Climate Journalism).

The winners received a trophy and a cash award of Rs1.2 million each to advance their activity and use the funds to deepen the gender-climate nexus in their area of work.

The Pakistan Gender Climate Award ceremony held at the Serena Hotel was attended by dignitaries from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, diplomats, civil society, academia, youth and media.

Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam lauded the initiative and pledged her support in taking the agenda forward to strengthen the gender-climate nexus.

In her keynote address, Ms Alam said: “Women are the change and will change the future. They are our champions, and we have faith in their capabilities.”

French Ambassador Nicolas Galey said: “We are delighted that the Gender Climate Award, which was launched last year by the French Embassy, can bring together other prestigious partners this year and even more in the future.

“This demonstrates global awareness of the impact of climate change, and the need for everyone – men and women, governments, international organisations, and NGOs – to meet this challenge together. By honouring the three winners of this award, we pay tribute to the extraordinary women of Pakistan for their leadership in climate action and their efforts to find innovative and concrete solutions to make their communities more resilient.”

European Union Ambassador Dr Riina Kionka highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate change on women, adding that “women are at the heart of our work in building a sustainable world. Investing in female leadership is key to climate solutions. We are delighted to honour the inspiring work of women in addressing climate challenges, be it through journalism, entrepreneurship, or advocacy.”

Deputy Head of Mission, UAE embassy, Mohammad Sultan AlKaitoob commented on the negative impact of climate change on the lives and livelihood of women. He emphasised the need for action.

“The UAE recognises the indispensable role that gender equality plays in building a sustainable and resilient future. Empowering women and girls not only enhances social cohesion but also accelerates progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to climate action,” he added.

Resident Representative of UNDP Samuel Rizk congratulated the winners and encouraged them to become role models of inspiration.

“We’ve got to move past old-fashioned ways of thinking and work together to make real change happen. Today’s winners serve as examples for young women and girls across Pakistan that show that the barriers can be broken down,” Mr Rizk said.

In her concluding remarks, Senator Sherry Rehman said: “Climate and women are inextricably linked. The impacts of a planet on fire will further erode the capital of women. Spotlighting women and empowering them to become leaders is key to resilience. Events such as this should be scaled up and held every year to inspire women.”

Speaking at the event, Aisha Khan from the CSCCC said the nation-wide call for applications made in November 2023 for the Gender Climate Award received a robust response and a total of 79 applications were received and evaluated by a five-member committee to select the winners.

“We hope this is a trend that we can build on to raise awareness and encourage women to participate more actively in climate action,” she added.

The three Gender Climate Award winners expressed their delight and gratitude for the recognition.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2024