As a WELA delegate, I was fortunate to attend the Women Deliver Conference (WD2026) alongside many incredible women, non-binary people and allies from across the world. WD2026 provided me with a unique opportunity to discuss gender-based issues with an intersectional and cross-disciplinary lens of feminists upholding human rights, advancing global health, advocating for sexual reproductive rights and responding to the Climate Crisis. Since the conference, I have reflected on the importance of diverse representation and future-proofing equality and climate justice.
It was heartwarming to see so many women represented and working on issues that directly affect us. A common phrase throughout the conference was ‘nothing about us without us!’ This phrase struck a chord and felt like it connected all the delegates at WD2026, however it made me question whose voices were missing. Project Dandelion reminded us to ask the question: ‘whose voices do we privilege and exclude?’ when considering inclusion and suggested leaving a symbolic empty chair in the room for those who couldn’t be with us for varying reasons.
WD2026 also provided me with the chance to reflect on the common experiences of all women. For example, when asked about the Climate Crisis it was clear that all delegates were affected to varying extents across the globe – further amplifying the clear cross-section between gender and environmental issues.
Some advice shared by Robyn James, gender and environmental rights advocate, was that if we don’t consider gender when addressing climate issues, we are likely to be doing harm as women’s rights and lives are deeply connected to the environment. The same can be said for not considering the further marginalisation of intersectional groups including First Peoples, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ etc.
Intersectionality was a key theme throughout WD2026, particularly as diverse voices provide diverse perspectives and unique solutions to gender-based issues. Maryangel Garcia Ramos Guadiana, disability rights advocate, said this well by explaining that ‘women with disabilities are the ‘original hackers’ because nothing is designed for us’.
Young people also provide diverse perspectives that are often ignored or forgotten. Youth advocates expressed that their voices are often disregarded, despite being old enough to deal with the consequences of gender-based health and environmental issues. For instance, adolescent women are old enough to deal with the pain and ramifications of menstruation but are often considered too young to access contraception. During the Girls at the Centre: Power, Voice & Investment WD2026 session, we were urged to think beyond ‘adulthood’ as the centre and standard of society and our future.
During the Future Proofing Equality Plenary we were asked to consider ‘what do we need to do to future proof equality and address climate change?’ Feminist speakers emphasised that gender-equality is not just ‘women’s business’ but everyone’s business. They noted the importance of recognising who and what we are up against including conservative leaders and anti-rights movements. The ‘manosphere’ has become an increasingly troublesome space particularly for young men who are beginning to believe that they are ‘losing out’ in the gender-equality movement despite the movement’s focus on equality for all. It was suggested that we describe the gender-equality movement as one based on ‘care’ which is something we all value to bridge the gap and reach those who do not understand the movement.
To future proof equality we also need to be healthy and well. Wellness provides us with the energy to keep working towards a more equitable future. During WD2026 it was highlighted that climate change has very real adverse impacts on our human security and spiritual wellbeing. Rage and anger about gender inequalities and environmental degradation can often drive our work, however, it’s important that we also embody hope as a sustainable energy source to keep momentum, stay well and prevent burnout.
A great amount of resilience and strength will continue to be required to maintain hope whilst working towards equality and climate justice. At the conference, I was impressed by the resilience of our feminist leaders striving for a better future despite often coming up against significant gender-based and environmental challenges as well as the possibility of international aid cuts as witnessed recently by the United States.
Despite an increasingly conservative global political appetite and funding cuts, there will be an increasing need for funding and resourcing to future proof equality and climate justice, particularly as equality and environmental outcomes tend to suffer during economic downturns. It was suggested that humanitarian and environmental organisations may need to shift their focus to private philanthropic organisations rather than relying solely on uncertain government funding. Financing will be essential for funding sustainable communities, food security, infrastructure, resources and civil society engagement to make the changes we need to improve gender equality and climate justice.
I am grateful to have attended WD2026 through the support of WELA as I was able to gather some incredible insights from feminists from across the globe. It was inspiring to see such a diverse representation of women working on issues that directly affect us. I hope to continue to witness the intersectional voices of women, non-binary people, people with disability, young people etc shaping our agenda towards equality and climate justice. The future of equality and climate justice relies on us debunking the manosphere, keeping well, sustaining our energy and funding and resourcing. WD2026 has provided me with an immense amount of inspiration and insights to continue working towards gender equality and climate justice.
Alyssa Britnell (she/her) works within the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) to reform outdated colonial legislation that prevents First Peoples from connecting with Country and practising traditional forest gardening. As an advocate for gender-diverse and neurodiverse inclusion in emergency management, Alyssa drives meaningful change from within, challenging hyper-masculine biases that harm both environmental outcomes and industry culture. Her contributions include reforming uniforms for female and non-binary firefighters and emergency personnel, facilitating industry-wide Diversity, Equality and Inclusion safety training, and coordinating Women in Fire & Emergency Management networks. Alyssa is committed to building an emergency management sector that is inclusive, representative, and better equipped to serve diverse communities.