This year was tough. Around the world, communities were upended by natural disasters and war; lawmakers implemented devastating rollbacks of reproductive rights; and human rights defenders experienced violent crackdowns. But this year also saw deep-rooted movements and feminist leaders fight back with vision and heart. Movements for gender, climate, and racial justice are organizing and building power for decades, not years, and in 2022, they continued to lay groundwork for the long-term—and racked up victories along the way. Join Global Fund for Women in reflecting on the year’s challenges, wins, and promising trends. And as we look to 2023, consider showing your gratitude with a gift to the brave and determined feminist activists, movements, and leaders who stepped up in 2022.

1. NOW OR NEVER WHEN IT COMES TO CLIMATE JUSTICE

This year’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report confirmed what many already knew: We are at our “now or never” moment for climate justice. From food insecurity to more frequent and severe natural disasters, climate change is putting us all at risk. This year, flooding in Nigeria killed more than 600 and displaced more than 1.3 million people, and large areas of Pakistan have been under water for months after a torrential monsoon season. And the climate crisis is not gender neutral. When crops fail, women are often the last to eat. When disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and cyclones strike, women are more likely to die—in some circumstances, twice as likely. If they survive, displacement brings heightened risks of sexual violence and other human rights abuses and violations.

GRANTEE PARTNERS GETTING IT DONE:

In November, Egypt hosted the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), where world leaders, governments, and activists met to agree to steps to address climate change. In a huge victory, leaders negotiated a historic decision to create a loss and damage fund to help countries recover after climate catastrophes. Countries and activists most at-risk for climate emergencies (including Fridays for Future Most Affected Peoples and Areas, among others) are continuing to push the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) to set up an accountability process; make sure the money isn’t reallocated from adaption and mitigation funds; and advocating that the fund disburses grants rather than debt and loans. Additionally, grassroots feminist groups including Shifting the Power Coalition and DIVA for Equality advocated for climate decision-making processes at all levels to include dedicated space for diverse women’s networks and feminist movements. (Both groups are part of the Pacific Island Region Climate Justice Movement that Global Fund for Women is supporting.)

Read the full article about gender justice in 2022 at Global Fund for Women.