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WEDO Final:

The Women's Environment & Development Organization (WEDO) is an international non-governmental organization based in New York City, U.S. that advocates women’s equality in global policy. It was founded in 1990 by Bella Abzug and Mim Kelber to take action in the United Nations and other international policymaking forums. Its early successes included achieving gender equality in the final documents of Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration. In 2006, the organization was named as an international Champion of the Earth by the United Nations Environment Programme. The mission of WEDO is to ensure that women's rights, the social, economic and environmental justice, and sustainable development principles (and the links between them) are invested at the heart of global/national policies, the programs initiated and practices established. The way that WEDO is approaching these issues of environmental change is by addressing those complex environmental problems by incorporating women;s humans rights to secure sustainable development for future generations. There are two main goals of the Women's Environment and Development Organization: to make sure women feel empowered enough to claim their rights as advocates and leaders (especially on certain problems related to the environment) and to develop sustainable development policies and plans that are gender-responsive and socially just and are implemented in a way that is effective.

WEDO and the Center for Women's Global Leadership launched the Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign in February 2008 to mobilize women’s groups and allies to push for the adoption of the new UN entity for gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Center for Women's Global Leadership is a non-governmental organization that works on policy and advocacy and to facilitate women's leadership worldwide. To be able to advocate for women in the UN, together WEDO and the Center for Women's Global Leadership brought 50 activists together from all around the world to develop comprehensive strategies to gain the UN's approval of a fully resourced women's entity in the UN.

WEDO focuses its work in three programmatic areas: Gender & Governance, Sustainable Development, and Economic & Social Justice. Priority projects include MisFortune500.org, climate change advocacy, and UN Reform.

Climate Policy
There is agreement that climate change does threaten to set back the efforts that have taken decades to put in place, placing least developed countries and vulnerable populations in an even more precarious position. The IPCC AR5 concluded with more than 95% certainty, that humans have caused most of the climate change since the 1950s. Climate change erodes human freedom and limits choice. Although the impact of climate change affects everyone, only certain area will feel the most impact from this occurring. Those with the fewest resources, be it countries or individuals, will feel the impact of the changes the most and those that are wealthy will reap the benefits of a low-carbon society as the economy shifts towards that route. There is a lot of intersectionality when thinking of climate policy and climate changes. Climate change impacts solutions and encompasses a large diversity of experiences due to age, ethnicity, class, and especially, gender. Women, in comparison to men, have limited voices, more restricted rights, and limited access to resources. WEDO is calling for a global pathway to save the planet, a commitment to stay away from a fossil fuel based economy, have adequate climate finance for developing countries, have gender quality respected in all climate action, phase-out harmful technologies, and have women's leadership in all aspects of the decision-making.

Sustainable Cities &Transport
Sustainable cities are safe, ensure access to resources, and provide economic opportunities for all. Inclusive actions at a local level that promotes gender equality and women's rights in a sustainable development frame for all. WEDO also wants to ensure a capacity building of city officials on women's humans rights and policy design at a local level, want a rights-based framework, and macroeconomic policies to increase equity through progressive tax reforms.

WEDO believes that sustainable development and gender equality should be pursued to address gender-differentiated needs- to make sure transportation, infrastructure, policy development, and environmental sustainability respond to everyone at every stage in their lives.

Disaster Risk Reduction
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is to reduce disasters and their risks. It wants to build resilient people, men and women alike, and reduce vulnerability and build on the strengths and knowledge of people. Gender roles limit women and girls with resilience for themselves and their families, while the protection mechanisms and law can affect them the most. WEDO wants gender analysis (use of gender-specific data to understand disaster risk), allocation of resources (gender-responsive research and training), understanding and action (protecting women's rights throughout the entire process), accountability (private sector investments and funding), and funding to go directly to women's organizations.