We would like to respond to the learnings and discussions that we have heard recently from COP26 and the Global Philanthropy Forum. As the world’s challenges become more and more pressing due to the disproportionate impact of climate change, philanthropy too is changing. In many ways improving. Improvements that have led to getting more money out faster.

These improvements are united with aspirations for equity that push philanthropy to be more inclusive. What really stands out as a common thread to this ambition is that we must centre the voices of those most affected by climate change in global philanthropy.

We continue to see the same populations disproportionately carrying the burden. Those with the fewest resources are too often the ones hardest hit by climate change. The consequences of these impacts can be devastating, especially for women and girls. Extended drought in East Africa is jeopardizing livelihoods and eroding social support structures. This in turn increases the risk of harmful practices such as child marriage. In Uganda, we have seen families marry off their girls often as young as twelve years of age in exchange for food. These tragic consequences put women and girls at the forefront of identifying solutions and leading change in communities to stop the disproportionate burden that has for too long been put upon them.

So, how can we connect philanthropy’s ambitions for equity with the communities directly affected by climate change? Fortunately, we see a lot of grassroots initiatives already happening. Communities cannot afford to wait. We challenge philanthropists to be brave and forward-thinking in terms of building new partnerships. The easy path would be to stick with existing partnerships where trust and history already exists. It takes courage and open-mindedness to forge new partnerships that are by design, shifting the traditional power dynamics and centring community voices. Grassroots leaders and global health leaders also bear the responsibility of bringing partnership opportunities to the forefront, so philanthropists can move to a more equity-focused model.

Read the full article about centering equity to address the climate crisis by Humphrey Nabimanya at Alliance Magazine.