NWAC envisions a world where human activity contributes to sustainable natural environments, including a clean and stable global climate. All Indigenous women, girls, gender-diverse and Two-Spirit people must fairly benefit from low-carbon sustainable economic activities.
Indigenous women face significant challenges relating to climate; it has more of an impact on Indigenous women than on Indigenous men and non-Indigenous people. The socio-economic relationships between Indigenous women and natural environments is being negatively affected by the effects of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. NWAC is working to ensure that Indigenous women’s voices are heard, and they equitably benefit from measures at the local, national and international levels to address this challenge.
The Engaging Indigenous Peoples In Climate Change Policy (EIPCCP), housed with the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) is the leading resource dedicated to researching and addressing the impacts of biodiversity and climate change on Indigenous women, children, youth, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse persons in Canada. The office facilitates important consultations, research and projects designed to close knowledge gaps in matters of biodiversity and climate change impacts on these groups. Furthermore, the EIPCCP facilitates policy, program, and legislative actions to address these challenges and ensure Indigenous women, youth and non-binary people have equitable opportunities to benefit from the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy.
The EIPCCP’s mandate is to reclaim and strengthen the relationships Indigenous women, girls, and gender diverse people have with Mother Earth, her lands, waters, and wildlife. This is achieved through the collection and sharing of knowledge, stories, and best practices of environmental impacts on Indigenous peoples as informed by the experiences of grassroots Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people. The goal of this work is to promote engagement in conservation and climate change action.
To accomplish our goals, NWAC engages in national and international climate change discussions to advocate for the rights and interests of Indigenous women. NWAC engages in multi-stakeholder groups that work to find common ground and promote meaningful climate action, engages in discussions on trade-related environmental matters including climate change, and participates in United Nations climate conferences. This includes the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Through these engagements, NWAC advocates for greater inclusion of Indigenous women in decision-making relating to climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.
Vilbert Vabi
Sr. Policy Advisor - Environment
Cell : 613-355-9254 || Email : vvabi@nwac.ca
120 Promnade du Portage
Gatineau, Quebec
J8x 2K1
From grassroots organizations to international bodies, the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the environment has never been focused on as prominently as now. Beyond the work EIPCCP is doing to ensure the role and rights of Indigenous women in our changing climate, there is an enormous amount of research and advocacy being done world-wide.
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