News
2024
Media release 5 March 2024
The Women’s Climate Congress applauds cross-party solidarity shown by Victorian women MPs
Read our media release about the criticism levelled at Victorian MP Zoe McKenzie (Liberal Member for Flinders) after she congratulated Jodie Belyea (ALP) for her recent win in the Dunkley byelection.
See also this article from Women’s Agenda about this incident.
Women’s agency in leadership is key to unlocking climate gridlock
Responding to much media reporting about women’s leadership for action on climate change during and after COP28 in Dubai (December 2023), and the response of the international women’s movement to the news that Azerbaijan had appointed 28 men and no women to the organising committee for COP29 in 2024, Janet Salisbury wrote an op-ed piece for Women’s Agenda which was published on 29 Jan 2024:
https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/womens-agency-in-leadership-is-key-to-unlocking-climate-gridlock/
2023
Remembering Glenda Cloughley
January 1952 - September 2023
It is with great sadness that we report the death of a WCC founding member, Dr Glenda Cloughley.
As a Jungian analyst, cultural psychologist and singer-composer, Glenda has brought a unique creative and prophetic spirit to the peace, justice and environmental movements. Her passing leaves a deep sense of loss.
Glenda was one of the core group of women from Canberra's A Chorus of Women who inspired Janet Salisbury to gather a group of Canberra women together in January 2020 around women's leadership on climate change - which led to the formation of the Women's Climate Congress.
After the formation of the WCC, Glenda joined our ‘Reintegrating the Arts Circle’ and made a major contribution to the artistic development of our National Congress of Women events held from 2021-2022.
Many of you will remember Glenda as the narrator and composer of the music for the beautiful video ‘The Singing Hill', which was premiered at the opening of ‘Women Rising’ - our first 1-day online NCW event held in Nov 2021. She also spoke more about the story behind the video and ‘The Singing Hill’ poem at ‘Renewal’ - our 2-day in person NCW event in September 2022.
In November 2022, when we presented the WCC Charter for Change to women parliamentarians in the Member’s Hall at Parliament House, Glenda read ‘The Singing Hill’ poem for the women assembled while other members of A Chorus of Women sang the refrain.
Condolences, memories, reflections
If you would like to leave a message of condolence and/or a memory of Glenda, you can do so via the form here: Vale Glenda Cloughley
We will collate your messages for her family and for publication on the Chorus of Women website in due course.
Remembering Glenda
There will be a public event to celebrate Glenda’s life and work:
The Chapel, Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture (and livestream)
Cnr of Blackall Street and Kings Avenue, Barton, ACT
See www.chorusofwomen.org for further information and a link for the livestream.
Vale Will Steffen
Along with many others in the climate change movement, WCC was deeply saddened to hear the news of the death of Emeritus Professor Will Steffen.
Will was internationally renowned scientists and science communicator who has been described as a ‘brilliant thinker, Earth system scientist, climate change expert, co-creator of the Planetary Boundaries concept and all-round awesome human being’ (Michele Maloney, LinkedIn 30/1/2023)
WCC Founder Janet Salisbury had a long association with Will in their home town of Canberra – from many initiatives with A Chorus of Women and more recently in assocation with the WCC.
Read Janet’s reflection on these experiences and other WCC member comments
In recognition of the pivotal role Will’s climate science evidence statement played in the Qld Land Court Case against Clive Palmer’s Waratah Coal Mine. we have dedicated our February Women’s Climate Conversation online event about this historic Land Court ruling to him.
News archive
Will Steffen speaking at ‘Mission Climate’ - a fundraiser for the Climate Council hosted by A Chorus of Women, 2016