The USAID Takamol- Gender Program, in collaboration with Arizona State University and the Jordanian Ministry of Environment, conducted the first-ever gender and climate change conference in February 2016.

Among those to provide opening remarks was Global Sustainability Solutions Services Practice Lead Rajesh Buch, who highlighted the intersection between climate change and gender in light of Jordan’s drive to accelerate its green growth initiatives after the December 2015 Conference of Parties in Paris.

Women in Jordanian communities are leaders and change makers who would benefit from stronger integration between gender mainstreaming and sustainable development concepts. Through multi-stakeholder dialogues and exchanges of knowledge, Takamol hopes to facilitate this integration by developing a policy paper and action plan. Guest speakers from ASU provided international best practices and shared knowledge on gender and climate change linkages within various contexts.

“We hope to contribute to impactful and innovative solutions to the social, environmental and economic challenges of this region, specifically around the implications of climate change on gender” said Gary Dirks, executive director for the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability.