NEWSFLASH!  National Congress of Women 
Day One — Women Rising. Why Women? Why Now?  
Tues 30 November 2021, 10.00-4.30 pm
Program and registration now live!  
Further details are on the National Congress of Women website.  ​
News 
Scroll down to see:
  • e-Updates 
  • ​Media - Exciting stuff here !
  • Other news 
For other news, see our Events page.
See also:
  • our Advocacy page for news of meetings with MPs and other decision makers.  
  • our Resources page for key documents explaining the Congress principles and purpose, and a resource kit for members.
  • our allies and collaborators page for news of other organisations we collaborate with or who we are simply sharing the journey with 
​
And for some inspiration on the importance of bringing women together -
Watch a video clip of First Nations leader Dr Mary Graham speaking about the need to rebalance our western institutions to allow full collaboration of women 

Also, while you are here, please can you join WCC by filing our the form on the Home page.​​
e-Updates
Read our e-Updates for news of the WCC journey and activities.
LATEST #14 September 2021
#13 August 2021
#12 July 2021
#11: June 2021 
#10: May2021  
#9: April2021  
#8: March2021
#7: February 2021 
#6: 25 November 2020
#5: 16 October 2020
#4: 2 September 2020
#3: 11 June 2020 
​#2:  6 April 2020
#1:  20 March 2020 

Thanks to our e-Update production team– Lyn Stephens and Lynne Audsley. To be on our mailing list to receive updates and other information, Join Us via the form on our homepage.

Latest campaign 
September 2021:
Ahead of the COP26 meeting in Glasgow in November, we are asking members to write a letter to their MP to ask them to promote/support more ambitious commitments from Australia.
See the Advocacy page for details   

MEDIA RELEASE 21 September 2021
​Independent women's organisation wants more Australian women at climate talks and urges stronger emissions pledge
MEDIA ​
Our Women's Climate Conversations 2021 online series is making the news!
Listen to these podcasts from Canberra Radio 3CR made by Congress member Rebecca Horridge.  Further details about the conversations and speakers are on the webpage: Women's Climate Conversations.  

Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture Engage newsletter. July 2021 
See our 'Women Rising' article on page 13
See also page 12 for an article and lovely picture from our artistic collaborators, Earthbound, from their performance in June of 'Invocvation'.

MEDIA RELEASE 22 June  2021:
Sorrow over Great Barrier Reef UNESCO announcement

MEDIA RELEASE 21 June 2021: 
Joyce urged to listen to the National's natural constituency and embrace climate targets
MEDIA RELEASE - 19 April 2021: Women’s Climate Congress founder celebrated as a finalist in leadership awards
Janet Salisbury was a finalist in the 2021 Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards in the category  of Emerging Leader in Climate Action. The Awards dinner and announcement of winners was on Thursday 29 April at the Swissotel Sydney.  From 900 nominations there were 34 finalists across 9 categories. Congratulations to Joanne Dodds, President of Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action, for winning the climate action category  

​Listen to Janet's radio interview with Canberra local radio 2CC on 25 April 2021.
Read Sarah Stitt's report of the awards dinner 
​Photo: Jenny Robinson, Janet Salisbury, Sarah Stitt in Sydney for the Women's Agenda Awards dinner. 

Radio interview — Capital Radio
On Sunday 25th April 2021 Janet was interviewed by Ian Meikle and Rod Henshaw for Capital Radio in Canberra.
This was as a result of our media release about the Women’s Agenda awards but the coincidence with Anzac Day provided a coincidental extra dimension and opportunity for Janet to speak about the how the Women's Climate Congress was inspired by the International Congress of Women held in The Hague in April 1915, and which was then only peace congress of WW1.   
Listen to a recording of the interview here

​​​
Podcast — community Radio 2XX (Canberra)
In response to our media release (9 July 2020), Janet was interviewed by Sophie Singh at Radio 2XX (Canberra) for the program SubjectACT (30 min). The interview describes what the Women's Climate Congress is, what we are trying to do and the principles driving us. Some of it is focused around the meeting we had with Neville Power, Chair of the National Covid Coordination Commission in June 2020.
You can listen to a podcast of the program here: https://soundcloud.com/subjectact/dr-janet-salisbury-on-the-womens-climate-congress
Please share the link widely and encourage your friends and colleagues to listen.  We would love to hear what resonates with you, what you are less sure of, and any thoughts you have for the development of the Congress. Send your ideas to our contact email address. 

MEDIA RELEASE 9 July 2020: 
New national climate group calls for more women on National COVID Coordination Commission 
WFEA Parliamentary Friendship Group for Women for Election Australia 
https://wfea.org.au/wfea-parliamentary-friendship-group-for-women-for-election-australia/ 
We are pleased to see the formation of this new nonpartisan parliamentary friendship group created by Women for Election Australia. the WfEA website states:
"The March4Justice rallies across Australia were sparked by overwhelming evidence of how misogynist culture and daily sexism can lead to sexual harassment and assault being ignored or downplayed, even in our Parliaments. This is why, more than ever, political education and participation are key aspects of achieving cultural change, as well as gender equality, in our legislative chambers.
According to research, female politicians are more likely to substantively advance women rights in areas such as pay equity, violence against women, health care and family policy. Also, research has shown that women in government tend to work in more collaborative and bipartisan ways and employ a more democratic leadership style.
Put simply, a broader representation of women in all of our parliaments will have an enormous impact on the conduct in those chambers, what issues are raised and how policies are shaped. It does not benefit our society, including men, to have women disengaged or lacking representation in government. A fair and functional society is less divisive and less polarised than one where half the population are left behind or shut out of opportunities that should be available to them.
By building a cross-party Parliamentary Friendship Group, WFEA can harness the support of our Federal MPs and Senators who want to see barriers reduced for women who want to run; whilst also providing a supportive forum for those who are already elected."

The Women's Climate Congress hopes that this group might be the start of a more formal multiparty 'Women's Caucus' in parliament to create a safe space where women can bring their own leadership style, priorities and a feminist lens to policy debate. 

Women’s Climate Leadership, Hyatt Hotel, Canberra  
British High Commission women's networking event, 17 March 2021
The Congress was very pleased to be invited to to join this evening panel discussion on the role of Women in Climate Leadership. 
The UK is President of the next UN Climate Conference, COP26 in Glasgow this November. This event sought to open discussion about the importance of gender diversity in climate leadership in governments, businesses and communities.  The event was hosted by British High Commissioner, Her Excellency Vicki Treadell, with a panel of speakers: 
Sophia Hamblin Wang - COO, Mineral Carbonation Australia
Katie Eberle - Manager, International Climate Partnerships, Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources
Professor Penny Sackett - Chair, ACT Climate Change Council, Former Chief Scientist of Australia
Dr Virginia Marshall - Inaugural Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellow, ANU RegNet, Fenner School of Environment

Read Kirsten Anker's report of the event.  

Congress planning day 
​On 23 October 2020, members of our Hub circle (working group) met in Canberra for a 1-day face-to-face workshop so good to be together instead in person).  After checking in and reviewing progress the workshop focused on:
  • Our proposal for independent mediation process, following an expert and engaging introduction to mediation from guest speaker, Rhian Williams (hosted by Janet Salisbury)
  • Supporting our members and drawing on the wide range of expertise they bring (hosted by Lyn Stephens)
  • Fundraising (hosted by Sarah Stitt and linked in to Integrating the Arts)
  • Integrating the Arts (hosted by Sally Blake)
  • A National Conference in 2021 (hosted by Barbara Baikie) – See below.
Read our 'harvest' report on the Congress planning day  

Integrating the Arts  
We are excited that Canberra-based visual artist Sally Blake has taken up the challenge to convene a small circle of women to think about how to integrate the arts into all aspects of our work in the Congress.

​The following piece written by Sally for  our latest e-Update (#4) explains the significance of integrating the arts ...
The science on climate change is established, yet humans are not changing quickly enough to meet this crisis, and some continue to interpret it as a belief that can be denied. We think about the scientists, activists and others who look into this crisis every day, holding the terrible knowledge of what is to come and the urgent changes that must happen. ANU climate scientist Joelle Gergis recently wrote of dreams in which she is inundated by huge Coming waves saying, ‘we are witnessing the unthinkable. Facing the unimaginable’ (Joelle Gergis, The Monthly, July 2020). The science, the hard facts alone, do not capture people’s feelings and hearts in a way that makes change possible. This is the work of artists.

Other members of the circle are Courtney Allen, Glenda Cloughley, Johanna McBride and Meg Rigby.   
If you would like to know more, or to contact Sally, please email womenscliamtecongress@gmail.com.   
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