"Unlocking the Power of Women: How Female Leadership Can Help Build Climate Change Resilience"

Gender parity is not recovering, according to the?Global Gender Gap Report?2022. As crises compound, women's workforce outcomes are suffering, and the risk of global gender parity backsliding further intensifies.

It will take another 132 years to close the global gender gap.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has continuously called to increase women's participation in the economy and society, including in leadership roles, promoting gender equality and women empowerment.

Climate change poses a significant threat to societies worldwide, and it is becoming increasingly clear that effective action is needed to address this threat.

The 2008 Global Financial Crisis led to an era of austerity that considerably affected the social infrastructure. Families and primary caregivers, commonly women, felt its repercussions - these effects have grown during the pandemic. Geopolitical conflict and climate change amplify this problem, putting females at a greater disadvantage than males in terms of income and wealth accumulation. The present cost-of-living predicament will only make matters worse for them.

Yet Women play a crucial role in contributing to climate change resilience. Female leadership can enhance the climate agenda and build societal resilience.

1. Community-based adaptation: Women often play a key role in their communities, and they can contribute to climate change resilience by leading local efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change. For example, women may lead efforts to develop sustainable agriculture practices, conserve natural resources, or build more resilient infrastructure.
2. Climate-smart practices: Women are often responsible for managing natural resources, such as water and land, and they can contribute to climate change resilience by adopting climate-smart practices. For example, they can implement conservation agriculture, soil and water management, and agroforestry systems, which can increase the resilience of their farms and communities.
3. Natural resources management: Women are often responsible for managing natural resources such as water, forests, and land. They can contribute to climate change resilience by implementing sustainable natural resources management practices such as conservation and sustainable use.
4. Climate-smart education: Women can also contribute to climate change resilience by providing education and training to their communities on the impacts of climate change and how to adapt to them. This includes providing education on how to reduce emissions, conserve resources, and promote sustainable development.
5. Climate-smart finance: Women can also contribute to climate change resilience by identifying and investing in climate-smart projects and businesses. This can include investing in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and other climate-resilient initiatives.
6. Advocacy and policy making: Women can also contribute to resilience in climate change by advocating for policies and regulations that support sustainable development and climate-resilient practices. This can include advocating for policies that promote renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and other climate-resilient initiatives.
7. Gender-responsive planning: Women are often overlooked in decision-making and planning; they can contribute to resilience by ensuring that gender-responsive planning is integrated into climate change resilience strategies and policies.

Overall, women can play a critical role in building climate change resilience by leading local efforts, adopting sustainable practices, providing education, investing in climate-smart projects, and advocating for policies that support sustainable development and climate-resilient practices.

As leaders, we are responsible for closing the global gender gap and promoting gender equality. The recent Global Gender Gap Report 2022 highlights the dire need for change, with the gap projected to take another 132 years to close. However, we cannot let this discourage us from pushing forward and making a difference.

Climate change poses a significant threat to society, and it is crucial that we work towards building resilience and addressing this threat. Women play a crucial role in this effort, as they often lead local efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change and implement sustainable practices in their communities.

As leaders, we are responsible for ensuring that women are included in decision-making, planning, and advocating for policies that support sustainable development and climate-resilient practices. By fostering an environment of openness, inclusivity, collaboration, and operational know-how, we can work through difficulties and achieve our vision of a more sustainable future.

By recognizing the valuable contributions of women in building climate change resilience, we can empower them to lead and make a real impact in our communities. Together, we can make a positive change and bring us one step closer to closing the global gender gap.

3 actions you can take today to address the gender gap are:

1. Prioritize and promote diversity and inclusivity in your workplace and decision-making processes. This can include implementing programs and initiatives that support and empower women and actively seeking out and promoting women in leadership roles.
2. Educate yourself and others on women's role in contributing to climate change resilience. This can include learning about how women can lead on sustainable agriculture, natural resources management, and climate-smart finance issues.
3. Take action by supporting and investing in initiatives that promote women's leadership and participation in addressing climate change. This can include supporting organizations and projects that focus on empowering women and girls in education and economic development and investing in businesses and projects that promote sustainable development and climate-resilient practices.

In conclusion, the gender gap in the workforce is a significant issue that needs to be addressed. Women play a vital role in building climate change resilience, and their participation and leadership in these efforts are crucial. By taking small but meaningful steps towards promoting gender equality and women empowerment, we can work towards closing the global gender gap and creating a more resilient and sustainable future. Let's take action today to ensure that every woman in our universe, ready to step up, has the opportunity to lead and contribute to the fight against climate change.

Together, we can make a difference.

Leesa Soulodre is the General Partner of?R3i Capital ?and the founder of the R3i Group. If you found this useful, like, share with another emerging manager or LP, and follow me on?LinkedIn ?so that together we can accelerate impact.

R3i is on a mission to deploy one billion dollars over the next decade into deeptech climate impact and the transition to value-based care.?R3i Capital ?LP has announced the launch of its Sustainable Development Future Fund. The 506(c) Delaware-based fund will provide financing to 60 startups worldwide whose deep technology innovations improve the resilience and effectiveness of smart cities’ interconnected systems: energy, water, transportation, the built environment, health, food and agriculture, and safety and security, meeting the requirements of our SDGs.

The fund targets 6 Sustainable Development Goals:

1. GOAL 3 — Good Health and Wellbeing: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
2. GOAL 5 — Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
3. GOAL 6 — Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
4. GOAL 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
5. GOAL 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
6. GOAL 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Only together, can we accelerate impact and build a more inclusive economy.

What’s in our name?

R3i stands for returns, resilience and reliability — three characteristics that are often used to describe or evaluate investments, businesses, or other assets.

Together, these three characteristics can be important factors to consider when evaluating the potential risks and rewards of an investment or asset.

3 i’s — “Intelligence, Innovation, Insight” are the three characteristics that are often used to describe a venture firm’s edge. R3i synthesises these into its collective and inclusive “impact”.

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