Women's Environment and Development Organization

Women's Environment and Development Organization
Name	Women's Environment and Development Organization
Abbreviation	WEDO
Formation	1990
Founders	Bella Abzug, Mairead Corrigan, Bertha Cáceres, Rosalyn Carter
Location	New York City, United States
Focus	Sustainable development, Women, Human rights

Women's Environment and Development Organization

The Women's Environment and Development Organization was established as an international non-governmental organization addressing intersections among sustainable development, women's rights, human rights, and environmental policy. Founded by prominent advocates with ties to UNCED, United Nations, and feminist networks active during the 1992 Earth Summit and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the organization has engaged in policy advocacy, technical assistance, and coalition building across global governance forums such as the UNFCCC, CSW, and UNEP.

History and Founding

WEDO was created in the wake of debates around Agenda 21 and the legacy of activists from the Green Belt Movement, Women Strike for Peace, and leaders involved with the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Founders drew on experience from campaigns associated with Chernobyl disaster responses, Rio de Janeiro negotiations, and advocacy linked to figures like Wangari Maathai, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Margaret Thatcher-era environmental diplomacy, and the transnational feminist organizing exemplified by Gloria Steinem and Eleanor Smeal. Early operations connected to policy shifts following the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and engagements at the IPCC.

Mission and Programmatic Focus

WEDO's mission centers on advancing gender-equitable outcomes within multilateral processes such as the SDGs, CBD, and UNFCCC. Program areas historically encompassed advocacy on climate change, biodiversity, sustainable development, and disaster risk reduction with strategic engagement at forums like the World Bank, IMF, and WHO. The organization developed toolkits and policy guidance reflecting priorities advanced by movements including #MeToo movement, Indigenous peoples' rights coalitions that cite the UNDRIP, and networks associated with Oxfam, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

WEDO operated with a governing board, executive leadership, and program staff collaborating with advisory groups composed of activists, academics, and diplomats linked to institutions like Harvard University, Columbia University, London School of Economics, and think tanks such as the Brookings Institution and Chatham House. Leadership cycles featured directors and chairs who interfaced with representatives from European Union, African Union, and national delegations to the United Nations General Assembly. The structure supported partnerships with grassroots organizations including La Via Campesina, Greenpeace, and feminist legal advocates affiliated with the ICC and regional human rights courts.

Major Campaigns and Initiatives

WEDO led or co-led campaigns addressing gendered impacts of climate finance negotiations at the Green Climate Fund, gender mainstreaming within UNFCCC outcomes, and integrating women's priorities into the Paris Agreement. It contributed to initiatives on sustainable agriculture alongside FAO dialogues and to resilience programs linked to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Campaigns often coordinated with global movements such as Fridays for Future, Extinction Rebellion, and networks of women's shelters influenced by CEDAW jurisprudence. WEDO's policy briefs and advocacy shaped positions advanced at summits like the G7 summit and forums including the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

Partnerships and Global Impact

Collaborations spanned multilateral agencies—UN Women, UNFCCC, UNEP—and civil society coalitions including WECF, Global Greengrants Fund, and regional bodies such as the OAS and ASEAN. WEDO provided technical support to national delegations from Bangladesh, Kenya, Peru, Philippines, and Pacific Islands Forum members on gender-responsive climate policy. Its influence is evident in policy references within documents produced by the IDB, ADB, and EBRD.

Funding and Accountability

WEDO's funding model combined grants from philanthropic foundations such as Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and Rockefeller Foundation, project funding from agencies like USAID and DFID, and contributions from institutional partners including European Commission programs. Financial oversight incorporated audits by international accounting firms and compliance with donor requirements tied to United Nations accreditation and reporting standards used by entities like the OECD Development Assistance Committee. Accountability practices involved collaboration with watchdogs including Transparency International and evaluations by research institutions such as IIED.

Awards and Recognition

WEDO and its leaders have been associated with recognitions and networks involving laureates from the Nobel Peace Prize community, acknowledgments from the United Nations system, and prizes awarded by NGOs including the Skoll Foundation and Rachel Carson Prize. Its contributions have been cited in reports by the IPBES and in policy assessments by the UNDP.

Category:International non-governmental organizations Category:Women's organizations Category:Environmental organizations