Climate change exacerbated the challenges that many poor and marginalised women and girls are already facing due to gender inequality, this includes the lack of respect, protection and fulfillment of their SRHR. Despite this reality, SRHR is rarely taken into account in the context of climate change and in climate action.
Through a partnership between ARROW and the Danish Family Planning Association (DFPA), we are embarking on an innovation approach from 2019-2021. ARROW and DFPA have formed the Women and Earth Initiative (WORTH), an innovation programme and fund that aims to create a platform, where civil society can unleash creativity and develop innovative integrated solutions to gender equality, SRHR and climate change adaptation challenges. This is so that CSOs can be strengthened to hold their governments accountable to integrate SRHR into climate policies, plans and budgets for climate action, including adaptation plans.
Staff from CSOs in Philippines, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan are eligible to apply for the WORTH Lab programme. About 10-15 participants will be selected to participate in the five-month WORTH innovation training, consisting of online learning and two physical labs, where their capacity will be builds to develop innovative ideas for integrating gender equality, SRHR and climate change efforts that will then be tested and improved. After completing the labs, participants become eligible to apply for grants from the WORTH Fund that will enable them to give life to their innovative idea developed during the labs. For 2019, the programme will focus on the interlinkages between SRHR and climate change/environmental sustainability and the four targeted countries are Philippines, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan, which are countries vulnerable to climate change.
Apply for the WORTH Initiative in 2020 at: worthinitiative.org/apply/
More information on the WORTH Innovation Labs can be found here or on their website: http://worthinitiative.org/about/
