Which Advocacy Strategies are Most Effective? Examining the Women and Gender Constituency at the May 2017 Bonn Climate Conference

Women’s rights are a crucial aspect of environmental rights because women, particularly those in the developing world, are disproportionately harmed by climate change (Alston 2013; Dankelman 2010; Women Watch n.d.). In response to this problem, women’s environmental rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have begun to advocate for greater gender-responsive solutions to climate change in various domestic and international domains. One arena where these NGOs are particularly active is in the Women and Gender Constituency (WGC) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). However, little is known about the effectiveness of WGC advocacy strategies. My research examines the different advocacy strategies used by the WGC at the May 2017 Bonn Climate Conference, analyzes their effectiveness and provides suggestions for furthering WGC advocacy. Through these observations and interviews with key constituency members, it becomes clear that the most effective strategies of the WGC are cultivating personal relationships, belonging to a transnational advocacy network (TAN), and fighting for gender-inclusive language in UNFCCC documents.