Women, youth empowerment and tech leverage take centre stage at 2023 AYGCC

The 2023 edition of the Arican Youth Gender and Climate Conference (AYGCC) was held at the Accra Digital Centre on Saturday November 26, 2023.

Hosted under the theme: “Empowering Women and Youth as Climate Leaders; Bridging the Gender Gap and Harnessing Technology for Sustainable Change,” was held under the auspices of Anijie Global Foundation.

The conference brought together young leaders, activists, researchers, and policymakers to discuss and address critical issues of climate change, gender equality, and technological innovation.

As the keynote speaker, Naomi Birago Opoku-Agyemang, Senior Youth Coordinator for Gender, Health, and Inclusion at the National Youth Authority, commended the Anijie Global Foundation for organizing such an event. She emphasized the need for conversations addressing the gender gap in climate action.

"As we delve into discussions today, it is crucial to recognize the interconnectedness of our efforts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goals 4, 5, and 13: Quality Education, Gender Equality, and Climate Action. These goals serve as our compass, guiding us towards a sustainable and equitable future."

Opoku-Agyemang highlighted the gender gap in climate action as a reality that demands attention. Through planned panel discussions, the aim was to unravel the complexities surrounding gender disparities in climate initiatives and explore tangible solutions and actionable steps that the youth can take to support climate action in Ghana.

She emphasized the government's recognition of the power and potential of young Ghanaians in addressing climate change and highlighted initiatives by the National Youth Authority to equip the youth with the skills and knowledge needed to understand and address climate change issues.

Hilde Opoku, the Program Manager at the United Nations Habitat in charge of the Smart SDG Cities in Ghana program, noted how the policy aims to harness data, digitization, community engagement, and investment in local impact to drive the local implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. She highlighted components of the Ghana program, including engagement with traditional leaders to broaden stakeholder involvement in climate action.

"Without bringing the traditional leaders on board, how can we deal with some of the main issues? Like climate change, for example, we need to have safe spaces where water can come; where we can plant trees, where we can develop buildings and infrastructure, and we need the traditional leaders to get access to land," she stated.

Describing climate change as the biggest challenge confronting humanity, Hilde Opoku noted the correlation between human contribution to climate change and the need for effective climate actions to deal with it.

"The need for climate action is more urgent than ever before. More ambitions, actions need to be taken at all levels of society," she added. She emphasized that while Africa's contribution to climate change is not on a larger scale compared to others, the continent has a vital role to play in reversing the trend.

Dr. John Aggrey, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hired Consult who also spoke as a guest speaker, highlighted the vital role of women in climate action and the need to empower women in that regard.

"We are all hard hit by the consequences of climate change, and women and youth, as the theme implies, offer unique gender perspectives and experiences that are immeasurable in shaping holistic and inclusive strategic policies," he lauded Anijie Global Foundation for putting together the conference.

The event also included a panel discussion on the theme where resource persons, including the Co-founder and Executive Director of Women for Sustainability Africa, Anita Ofori; Ecosystem Developer Maxwell Beganim; Founder of Ilmiha Labs, Samiha Yunus; Co-Lead at 10 Billion Strong Ghana Hub, Sarfoh Danquah; and Co-founder of Asaase Yaa and Friends Network, Zipporah Kyerewah Amankwah, brought to bear their experiences and knowledge.

The panelists shared various insights on the impacts of climate change, the need for youth and women empowerment in climate action, and the opportunities technology offers in dealing with climate change.

Formerly recognized as the Anijie Global Gender and Climate Conference, the African Youth Gender and Climate Conference (AYGCC) is an annual gathering that empowers young individuals, especially those marginalized in climate-related initiatives, to take climate action.

AYGCC, functioning under the Anijie Global Foundation, an acclaimed youth-led NGO committed to cultivating an atmosphere conducive to nurturing leadership skills in women and youth, actively pursues global objectives. The foundation places emphasis on Quality Education, Gender Equality, and Climate Action, and it has been honored with the NGO Award of the Year.

The conference aims to confront the disproportionate impact of climate change on women, youth, and vulnerable communities in Ghana and throughout Africa.

Anijie Global Foundation is a youth-led NGO dedicated to fostering an environment conducive to developing leadership skills in women and youth. The foundation takes proactive steps toward global goals, specifically focusing on Quality Education, Gender Equality, and Climate Action.