Bulletin | 08 March 2022
This International Women’s Day: ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow’
This year, to mark International Women’s Day, the UN calls upon the global community to recognize, celebrate, and support the contribution of women and girls throughout the world who lead the charge on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response to build a more sustainable future for all.
At the Gender-Based Violence and Environment Linkages Center – we recall the layered impacts that COVID-19 and the climate crisis continue to have on gender equality and the safety and dignity of people in all their diversity – and call for ambitious environment, climate and disaster risk reduction policies and actions that realize the rights and resilience of all.

Driving attention and fostering dialogue at CSW
Around the world, climate change contributes to worsening environmental conditions where the threat of GBV increases. These challenges require urgent attention as the safety of all people from violence and discrimination is foundational to a rights-based approach to sustainable and human development. 
From 14 - 25 March, the 66th convening of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 66) will address how gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programs can be realized.
Ahead of CSW
Ahead of CSW, review selected key resources from the GBV-ENV Center.
Celebrating strides toward a culture of gender-responsiveness in climate action – read more about IUCN’s work on gender equality and safety in a changing climate
During CSW
During CSW, join us and colleagues from around the globe for virtual events and communications featuring the GBV-ENV Center and its work to address this critical nexus:
The GBV-ENV Center is working with partners from around the world to underscore the importance of gender equality and safety from GBV as the climate crisis continues. Click and bookmark this link for rolling updates on events on this intersection:
A shared spotlight on GBV
and climate change links
During CSW 66, the GBV-ENV Center and the Spotlight Initiative are working together to underscore the importance of addressing GBV in climate policies and action through a joint communications campaign. 

Please join us and help share data, insights, and news:

RISE highlights

Taking action to address GBV and environment links together
Based on the work of the GBV-ENV Center, USAID created the Resilient, Inclusive, and Sustainable Environments (RISE) Challenge to support organizations to adapt and implement approaches to address GBV in environmental programming through nine projects in eight countries to date. See the latest news about RISE learning:
Resilient, Inclusive, & Sustainable Environments (RISE) Challenge Annual Report 2021
Around the globe – from community forestry, to land tenure and property rights, to artisanal and small-scale mining, to wildlife conservation – environmental and gender-focused civil society organizations are collaborating to address GBV. See a summary report of learning and achievements to learn more about how these partnerships are developing capacities and changing policy and practice in diverse contexts.
Profiles for Change: Influencing National Policies in Fiji
Reama Naco and Ulai Baya, indigenous iTaukei from Fiji, have been involved in the development of the first-ever government-supported Feedback, Grievance and Redress Mechanism (FGRM+) addressing gender-based risks within a national Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) program. Read about their experience on addressing GBV in conservation programming for the first time.
Interested to learn more about the RISE Challenge? Visit us online!

New to the library

The GBV-ENV Center curates a library of resources from around the globe to support informed action to address GBV and environment linkages across environmental policy and practitioner spheres.

Explore recent additions below and visit the library!
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has recently published a blog via its Cool Green Science platform on providing a trauma-informed response as part of a broader effort to address GBV in conservation programs – read and learn more about TNC’s collaboration with the GBV-ENV Center and its GBV-ENV tool on addressing survivor-centered and trauma-informed GBV disclosures now! (Why Gender-Based Violence Is a Conservation Issue, TNC)
The GW – Building GBV Evidence in Conflict and Refugee Settings program includes a Technical Assistance Portal. Click now to send a request for no-cost individualized support for organizations seeking to increase their capacity to undertake GBV research and/or improve their monitoring and evaluation systems. (Technical Assistance Portal, GWI)
Across India, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia, USAID is working on an Integrated Land and Resource Governance (ILRG) program, implementing ambitious partnerships with communities, governments, traditional leaders, civil society organizations, and the private sector to promote gender equality, understanding on GBV links and women’s empowerment in land tenure and resource governance. Read a blog to learn more. (Groundbreakers: Women overcome bias and lead sustainable use of land and resources, USAID LandLinks)
Learn. Act. Create change.
The GBV and Environment Linkages Center is hosted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) under its Advancing Gender in the Environment (AGENT) partnership with USAID. It works to close the knowledge gap on GBV-environment issues while mobilizing learning and forging collaborative action towards ending GBV and securing environmental sustainability.
Cross-sector partnerships.
Pioneering learning.
USAID’s Resilient, Inclusive, and Sustainable Environments (RISE) Challenge identifies and funds the innovative application of promising or proven interventions that prevent and respond to gender-based violence across programs that address the access, use, control, and management of natural resources.
Filling information gaps.
Making the case.
Tailored technical support.
Advancing Gender in the Environment (AGENT) is a collaboration between the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to increase the effectiveness of environment programming through the robust integration of gender considerations, while improving gender equality and women’s empowerment outcomes.
The information provided in this email is not official U.S. Government information and does not represent the views or positions of the U.S. Agency for International Development or the U.S. Government.