According to the report from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the global average temperature has increased by about 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) since the late 19th century. Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, have led to a significant increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts, storms, and floods, have increased in many regions due to climate change.
Furthermore, research indicates that women and men typically perceive the effects of climate change differently due to gender roles, socioeconomic status, and cultural norms. Women, for example, may be disproportionately affected by climate-related disasters due to factors such as limited resource availability, lower income levels, and restricted mobility. In many cases, women have less access to resources to help them become climate-resilient than males, making them more exposed to the effects of climate change.
Gender-disaggregated data can, however, help to influence policy-making and climate adaptation initiatives by highlighting gender gaps and suggesting potential for gender-responsive solutions. It can also help to guarantee that women’s voices and perspectives are sufficiently represented in climate-related decision-making. Hence, our representation by our Programme Manager, Opeyemi Ogundeji at the Climate and Gender Workshop organised by Nigeria Climate Innovation Center and supported by Climate -KIC, Irish Aid and the European Union.
Our Programme Manager, Opeyemi Ogundeji engaging with Mrs Titilayo Oshodi, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State on Climate Change and Circular Economy giving the keynote speech
The workshop brought together diverse organizations, institutions, centers, stakeholders, players etc that have a strong focus/interest in women empowerment and entrepreneurship to exchange knowledge, map challenges and opportunities, and co-create actionable strategies that;
Fosters the spring and development of more women-led green ventures, leading to climate equity and justice.
Increase collective and individual organizational and institutional support to existing female climate entrepreneurs.
Promote an inclusive society for women to freely express and showcase their unique strengths, passion and environmental stewardship.
Mrs Titilayo Oshodi, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State on Climate Change and Circular Economy giving the keynote speech
Workshop Highlights:
- Goodwill Message and Keynote Speech
These were given by Mrs Titilayo Oshodi, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State on Climate Change and Circular Economy and Ms Yemi Keri, the CEO, Hackerbella/NCIC Board Member respectively. In their speeches, these great women both dropped vital notes, one of which was that “True Sustainability is in safeguarding the future of all genders irrespective of their socioeconomic status”. Also, raised apt points on some of the barriers that hold women back such as lack of mentorship, societal expectations and bias, unequal access to opportunities and poor representation in leadership.
A snapshot of our Programme Manager, Opeyemi Ogundeji at the workshop
- Paper Presentations
There were expert presentations on varying topics ranging from Green Inclusive Finance by Mr Emmanuel, Executive Secretary, Financial Centre for Sustainability (FCAS), Lagos State; Board Diversity: A case for change in emerging economies by Ms Yewande Adeyi, Manager, ESG Advisory, KPMG; Empowering Women in the Energy sector: Advancing Climate Equity and Sustainability by Ms Zara Abba, Project Manager, Shell Nigeria and Enabling Nano and Micro Women-Led Businesses to Grow Sustainably in Africa by Ms Eniola Ahmed, Senior Programme Manager, Women-Led Enterprise, FATE Foundation.
Mr Emmanuel highlighted some of the ways his organisation has been ensuring women’s inclusion in sustainability. Ms Yewande used data to let us understand women’s representation on the boards and also shared that the journey towards equity should mean a levelled playground for everyone. Ms Zara through her experience shared possible ways that organisations and individuals can work to support women. She cited the example of having creche in workplaces which is a typical work-friendly structure for career women who are also nursing mothers. In addition, Ms Eniola also raised an intriguing point during her presentation that “failure is an essential part of success not the opposite” and she emphasised the need for each person to be so familiar with why they are REMARKABLE. The multi-pronged approach of their case study project which was presented also highlighted the importance of welfare and mental wellness consideration for project beneficiaries.
Our Programme Manager, Opeyemi Ogundeji engaging with a fellow participant at the workshop
- Panel Discussion
This session was moderated by Adamu Garba, the Chief Operating Officer, of NCIC, where he posed key questions on climate financing for women, possible opportunities for women to explore in sustainability and industry tips for participants to glean some insights from the experiences of the panellists who are key stakeholders in sustainability. The panellists: Mrs Titilayo Oshodi, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State on Climate Change and Circular Economy. Mrs Yetunde Asika, Co-Chair, Bandung Africa, Ms Lolade Awogbade, Sustainability Leader, Development Bank of Nigeria and Ms Achenyo Idachaba-Obaro, Founder MitiMeth were open with their responses based on their experiences in the space and also answered other questions from the participants. A key question asked by the participant was how can women get access to all of these climate funding opportunities, which the response given was the need to connect and build strategic relationships with key stakeholders who have access to these opportunities, particularly at events such as this workshop.
A snapshot of Opeyemi Ogundeji and other workshop participants during the co-creation session on the case study shared.
- Interactive Discussions and co-creation sessions with industry colleagues
This session was led by Oluwatosin Ajide, the Programme and Partnership Lead, at NCIC. Here, all the participants were given some time to collaboratively brainstorm and work on specific case studies. Following the brainstorming session, each team came up with ideas which were presented to all participants. The responses were great and according to Oluwatosin, they will be made into a communique to document participants’ opinions and their voices for driving future actions.
- Networking
During the workshop, there was an opportunity for all participants to move around, engage with one another and create meaningful connections for advancing one another’s work. Our team also participated in this and we were excited to have met with new people and also reconnect with those we already knew.
L-R: Amidu Mohammed, Founder and Creative Director at PlastiBuild Creative Solutions, Opeyemi Ogundeji, Programme Manager, Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative (NGYouthSDGs), Munnir Adams, Chief of Staff, Adstrat BMC Ltd
Finally, the Climate and Gender Workshop was a great one and effective for reminding stakeholders of more work that needs to be done involving women in the building of resilient communities and also creating a platform that enables for maximising collaboration for driving climate action.
