Copenhagen, December 17–For the first time in history leaders from around the world will gather for a photo opportunity demonstrating their support for gender equality in the global climate change agreement.

The Global Gender and Climate Alliance and the governments of Finland and Denmark in partnership with South Africa, Jordan, Grenada, Ghana, Lesotho, Costa Rica, AOSIS, and UN Foundation have joined together for a side event about Investing in Women’s Leadership for Climate Solutions. After tireless efforts to ensure that the final outcome of COP-15 is gender sensitive women leaders are stepping up to say Women are Agents of Change.

Only 1/3 of the delegates attending the COP this year are women, which can make it more difficult for equal representation of women and men’s views in relation to climate change. However, under the leadership of Her Excellency Tarja Halonen, President of the Republic of Finland, a womens delegate fund was initiated to bring more women delegates into the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Conference of Parties (UNFCCC COP).

The Philippines is a country extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. It is predicted that the country will experience more typhoons, floods, droughts, heat waves and crop production shortages as a result of climate change. Under the leadership of Her Excellency, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines the Philippine Climate Change Act was signed in October 2009. This act creates commission that will implement strategies for the country to better prepare for and respond to natural disasters.

Since the Kyoto Protocol the U.S. has often faltered in addressing climate change in national and international policy-making forums. And yet, under the leadership of the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, the first climate change legislation in the history of the U.S. passed out of Congress in June 2009.

It is these women and the many other women leaders from around the world who prove that investing in women’s leadership leads to effective climate solutions. Join us as we discuss and celebrate with these women leaders and senior UN and World Bank officials their pledge to be agents of change. The side event features the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, the President of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the U.S. Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi from 13:00-14:30 on 17 December 2009 in the Liva Weel Room of the Bella Center.

Following the side event there will be a photo shoot in the Liva Weel Room of 100 women leaders, I am an Agent of CChange. For those not able to attend the photo shoot in the Bella Center there is another photo opportunity and reception at 16:00 in Hall 55 of the DGI-Byen and Øksnehallen (Tietgensgade 65, 1704 København V). For more information about any of these events please e-mail [email protected].

Contact: Rachel Harris, GGCA Media Coordinator, [email protected], 00447 872 241 332