WCC Charter for Change

Women’s Charter for Change 2022

We are excited to present Version 1 of the WCC Charter for Change calling for immediate action on climate change and long-term actions for ongoing human and planetary wellbeing.

Impelled by the Black Summer bushfires of 2019–20, women came together in grief to find a new way forward for action on climate change. The Women’s Climate Congress (WCC) was born. We drew inspiration from the 1915 International Congress of Women and their resolutions to bring a peaceful end to World War 1 and to create the conditions for a lasting and sustainable peace.

The calls to action in this Charter have emerged through community conversations, monthly online events and other forums with women from all over Australia over the past two years. We have also drawn on values expressed in other national and international frameworks.

We acknowledge and celebrate that women are a diverse group. Intersecting identities within the group and individuals lead to unique experiences and responses to climate change and other issues, which we seek to recognise and address.

The Charter is aimed at government, business, nongovernment organisations, communities and individuals. By working together across diverse interests and following scientific advice we are better prepared for the existential challenges we face. We also recognise that creative thinking – in every discipline – is at the heart of the actions needed to mitigate further climate changes and to adapt to the changes already occurring.