Residential Fellowship Programme focus on mitigating the effects of climate change: FOI release

Information requested

'As of 7 September 2021, what progress has the Scottish Government had with expanding the Residential Fellowship Programme to train women to take leadership roles in mitigating the effects of climate change?'

Response

Since 7 September 2021, there has been one cohort of the Residential Fellowship Programme focused on the topics of climate change, gender and conflict. This fellowship took place 11 - 18 November 2021, both in the Scottish Borders and alongside COP26 in Glasgow. The cohort consisted of fourteen Fellows from Afghanistan, Colombia, Fiji, India, Morocco, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Pakistan, and Yemen. Nine fellows took part in the programme in-person, with a further five fellows taking part via Zoom. The programme for sessions included a focus on:

• The linkages between climate change, conflict and gender;
• Climate justice and building coalitions and movements;
• Challenges the Fellows face in their work; key things that are working well and could be scaled up; and critical needs that should be met in order to advance their work;
• Inclusive constitution-building processes and their potential utility in combating climate change in an inclusive and just way;
• The challenges of implementing legislation that emphasizes environmental protection;
• Community based and indigenous conflict resolution;
• Bridging Global North and South divides;
• Feminist Futures Visioning;
• Personal self-care and wellbeing;
• Q&A session with Mark Muller Stuart QC;
• Visit to the Scottish Parliament and a Q&A session with Alasdair Allan MSP

The full programme summary for the Climate, Gender and Conflict Fellowship Programme is as below:

Day One - Saturday 13th November
Session 1: Welcome & Introductions

Day Two - Sunday 14th November
Session 2: Introducing virtual participants
Session 3: Gendered impacts of climate change and conflict

Day Three - Monday 15th November
Session 4: Exploring the climate change/gender/conflict nexus
Session 5: Feminist Futures Visioning
Session 6: Building Our Movements

Day Four -Tuesday 16th November
Session 7: Constitution-drafting and the Environment
Session 8: Constitution-drafting and the Environment
Session 9 Self-Care & Well-being

Day Five - Wednesday 17th November
Session 10: Community level and indigenous conflict resolution and bridging global north and south divides
Session 11: Community level and indigenous conflict resolution and bridging global north and south divides

Day Six - Thursday 18th November
Session 12: Meeting with Alasdair Allan MSP
Session 13: Wrap-Up & Next Steps

The November 2021 Fellowship Programme on Climate Change, Gender and Conflict also included a series of virtual workshops led by participants of the program which were open to all members of the 1325 Alumnae Network (i.e. all Fellows from previous programmes) . The workshops covered the following topics:

• Women at the Forefront of Climate Change
• Addressing Biodiversity, Loss, and Damage from a Gender Equality Perspective
• Challenges & Successes in Climate-Gender-Conflict Work
• Difficult borders: Environmental Confidence Building Measures
• Land Rights, Environment and Dignity for Peasants and Indigenous Communities in Colombia
• Women Human Rights Defenders & Climate Justice

In 2022/23 Beyond Borders plan to run three further residential Fellowship Programmes, one of which will focus on the nexus of climate change, gender and conflict. Due to the success of the 2021/22 cohort, Beyond Borders have reported that a focus on climate change will continue to be built into all Fellowship Programmes.

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