Women for Climate (W4C) was organized collaboratively by the Center for Climate Change and Environmental Health at the Asian University for Women (AUW) and Green Lead, the event aimed at empowering young women to become future changemakers in the fight against climate change. It was a capacity-building event meticulously tailored for female university students in Chattogram, Bangladesh. It specifically focused on the intersection of climate change challenges and the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector, crucial for sustainable development and community resilience.

About Green Lead:

Green Lead is a youth-led social organization dedicated to climate action. With the vision of leading for a green world, it is building a global platform for transforming leaders into “green leaders” and mobilizing them to build climate resilience.

About 3CEH:

The Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Health (3CEH) at AUW was established in 2021. The center aims to tackle environmental health and climate change challenges through a transdisciplinary approach, integrating local and international expertise to develop innovative solutions. It offers postgraduate programs, focusing on leadership capacity building among women in the Asian region, recognizing their heightened vulnerability to climate impacts. Additionally, the center conducts research, collaborates with universities and businesses, and promotes grassroots initiatives for sustainable change.

Session Theme: Understanding the Climate Change-WASH sector nexus

Session Objectives: 

The event’s objectives aimed at equipping participants with comprehensive knowledge and tools to address climate change challenges within the WASH sector. 

These objectives included:

• Identifying and discussing climate challenges specific to the WASH sector, such as droughts, floods, water scarcity, and waterborne diseases. 
• Exploring innovative technologies and approaches for developing climate-resilient infrastructure and practices within WASH.
•  Highlighting the importance of women’s participation and leadership in climate-resilient initiatives within the WASH sector. 
• Providing information on academic programs and research opportunities related to climate change and the WASH sector.

Group Activity:

Participants engaged in a group activity focused on addressing critical challenges faced by women in coastal regions of Bangladesh, particularly related to health and sanitation issues exacerbated by climate change. Participants were divided into 5 groups and tasked with solving two out of three challenges presented in the problem set.