WOCAN Digest

February 2025 |

Photo Credit: IWMI

Dear Jeannette

Please find recent activities and resources within this edition of the WOCAN Digest.

Sincerely,

Jeannette Gurung

WOCAN Executive Director

Activities

W+ Market Sizing Study: Understanding the Commercial Potential of W+ Credits

WOCAN is currently undertaking market research for a W+ Market Sizing Study, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

A consortium led by Social Finance International (U.K.), British Asian Trust (U.K. and India), Consulting for Sustainable Solutions (South Africa) and the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership ( U.K.) are conducting this market assessment work to understand the potential buyer market for women’s empowerment outcomes within climate and development projects, through engaging with market actors, including potential buyers and market enablers, to understand the scope of demand for the W+ Standard and W+ credits.

Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP) Working Group Meeting

Nisha Onta, Regional Coordinator for Asia, attended the first in-person SNAPP working group meeting on 'Sharing the Benefits of Conservation' which took place from 21-23 January at RECOFTC in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting brought together leading thinkers from Indigenous groups, gender coalitions, academia and private sector carbon project developers among others. The discussion focused not only on the work plan to develop a benefits sharing guideline for carbon projects but also explore fundamental questions on the use of the terms such as "benefit" and "beneficiaries". WOCAN looks forward to be part of this two year initiative which is led by RECOFTC, Wildlife Conservation Society and The Nature Conservancy.

GCF Board Meeting in Songdo, Korea

Jeannette will be attending the GCF Board Meeting in Songdo, Korea, from 17-21 February.

Jeannette will be meeting up with GCF staff of three divisions interested in how WOCAN and the W+ Standard can enhance the Fund’s gender equality outcomes.

Opportunities

Fully-funded Leadership Training for the ASEAN Women

The Harpswell ASEAN Summit, is a fully-funded program designed to empower and connect emerging women leaders across Southeast Asia. They are specially looking for candidates from Thailand, Singapore, Laos and Brunei. The Summit offers participants invaluable leadership training, networking opportunities with other inspiring women and a platform to develop and refine their own passions. The Summit will take place online from May-August and culminate in one week of in-person learning in Penang, Malaysia from September 13-21.

Applicants should be women between the ages of 25-35 with strong English language skills and a vision for leading positive change. Full application requirements can be found on their website. The deadline to apply is quickly approaching – February 14th!

Join the Livestock Data for Decisions (LD4D) Steering Committee

Are you passionate about transforming livestock systems through data and evidence? LD4D is seeking dynamic leaders to join the Steering Committee and help make livestock data work for sustainable development.

Looking for senior professionals who bring:

☑️ Strategic leadership experience in livestock, agriculture, or climate finance

☑️ International experience working with diverse teams

☑️ Strong donor relationships and partnership-building skills

☑️ Time and commitment to actively shape the network’s strategic direction

We especially encourage applications from experts based in Africa🌍, Asia🌏, and Latin America🌎!

Ready to make an impact? Learn more and apply here:

https://edin.ac/40Rwour

Publications

Climate Change and Care Work: Integrated Solutions for Intersecting Crises

This Asia Foundation, IDRC and Fundación Avina policy brief examines how climate change intensifies care demands, weakens care systems, and exacerbates inequalities, and explores how adaptation and mitigation strategies can be employed to ameliorate those stresses. The brief also discusses how care is crucial to building resilience for increasingly frequent climate-related disasters.

Research on Human Security-Centered and Gender-Responsive Migration, Environment and Climate Change in Nepal

This IOM report examines the impacts of both sudden and gradual environmental changes, illustrating how these phenomena drive forced and voluntary migration across Nepal’s diverse communities. By focusing on the gendered impacts of migration, the research explores the unique challenges faced by women and those left behind, emphasizing the importance of reducing labour burdens and enhance resilience through climate-smart technologies and adaptive measures.

WOCAN Membership

New Members

Individual Members

Name	Country	Job Title	Organization
Sarah Sarhan	Egypt	Agronomist
Cynthia Chin	Malaysia	Head of Conservation Sarawak	WWF-Malaysia
Charlegne Rambanapasi	United Kingdom	Projects Officer	Plan Vivo Foundation

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