Women and girls are disproportionately impacted by climate change and environmental degradation. Yet, there is a substantial gap between women’s particularly high stake in environmental conservation and their ability to act on it. While women around the world have emerged as important leaders for environmental protection, climate justice and an ecological transition, they remain significantly underrepresented in institutions forming environmental policy from community and national governance structures to international fora.

In this context, the International Gender Champions and the Geneva Graduate Institute are hosting their 5th Geneva Gender Debate. In the tradition of the Oxford Union Debates, the motion debated on this occasion will be: “This house believes that 50:50 representation of men and women should be made mandatory for all environment-related multilateral conferences, negotiations and fora.”

Introduction: 

• Claire Somerville, Executive Director of the Gender Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute

Debaters:

• Adriana Quiñones, Head of Human Rights and Development, UN Women Geneva Office
• Jean-Pierre Reymond, Executive Director, 2050 Today
• Ambassador Nadia Theodore, Permanent Representative of Canada to the WTO in Geneva
• Ambassador Matthew Wilson, Permanent Representative of Barbados to the UN and other International Organisations in Geneva

Moderator:

• Marie Holch, Master's student in International and Development Studies, Geneva Graduate Institute

Closing remarks: 

• Martin Chungong, Secretary General, Inter-Parliamentary Union and Chair, International Gender Champions Global Board

This event is organised as part of the Institute’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative, with the support of the Permanent Mission of the United States of America in Geneva, and will be livestreamed on YouTube.