27
June
2022

WMU Empowering Women Programme at 2022 UN Ocean Conference

The role of women in ocean science is an important issue that has been historically overlooked and understudied in ocean affairs. This knowledge gap extends to the efforts needed to promote women’s empowerment. The Side Event will advocate increasing women’s representation and participation in ocean science to deliver the science we need for the ocean we want. The programme is structured around delivering research results and launching a global consultative process on the IOC-UNESCO endorsed Ocean Decade Action, Empowering Women for the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which is funded by Canada and the Nippon Foundation at the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute. More information on the programme can be found here: https://empoweringwomen.wmu.se/

The Side Event is featured with speakers from government agencies, international organizations, research institutions, universities, as well as representing private philanthropy. 

Objective

The Side Event will present for the first time compelling research results on the participation and equality status of women scientists in ICES, higher education marine science institutes in Kenya,  as well as in several intergovernmental organizations. The Side Event will be used as a forum to launch a Global Stakeholder Consultative Forum under the endorsed Decade Action, the Empowering Women for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development Programme.

(https://www.oceandecade.org/actions/empowering-women-for-the-united-nations-decade-of-ocean-science-for-sustainable-development /)

The Event will contribute to the thematic interactive dialogues topic 8 of the Ocean Conference, namely leveraging interlinkages between Sustainable Development Goal 14 Life below water and Goal 5 Gender equality. An enabling environment that allows for the equal and fair participation of women from different backgrounds and on all levels of ocean sciences including decision-making roles is a critical condition to enhance evidence-based governance and ocean health. Likewise, increased participation by women scientists contributes to the target of increasing scientific knowledge needed to achieve the UN Ocean Decade and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Venue: Auditorium III, PT Meeting Center. Directions from UNOC Altice Arena here. (Part of the FIL Lisbon Exhibition and Congress Centre/CCL – Lisbon Congress Centre)

Time: 13.00-15.30, Monday 27 June 2022

Register at: 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/empowering-women-for-the-united-nations-ocean-decade-tickets-372002047137 

Registration is complimentary and light lunch is provided to registered participants onsite.

Partners 

The Side Event is supported by the following collaborators: 

  • World Maritime University; 
  • Department of Legal Affairs of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Portugal; 
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden; 
  • Fisheries and Oceans, Canada; 
  • Ocean Policy Research Institute, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan; 
  • Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Japan; 
  • Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association, Kenya; 
  • Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO; and 
  • High Seas Alliance.

For the event Programme and biographies, click here.