Scholarship to beef up ranks of women environmental stewards

Women leaders in climate action are being offered scholarships on climate change and disaster risk management course under a program of the Climate Change Commission (CCC), Office of Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda and the Asian Institute of Management (AIM).

Nine of 18 scholarship grants for Sustainable Leadership Learning for Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction (SLL-CDRR), to be provided through the Executive Masters in Disaster Risk and Crisis Management program (EMDRCM), would be reserved for women, according to the Philippine News Agency.

The CCC, Legarda and AIM recognize the indispensable role of women in environmental stewardship and community resilience. Also, the impact of disasters is felt disproportionately, with women bearing most of the brunt.

In 2021, Typhoon Odette affected approximately four million women and girls of reproductive age in 13 provinces, prompting the United Nations Population Fund Philippines to call for urgent donations for the affected women and young girls.

"Women in fragile areas often bear the brunt of climate change impacts. Their unique perspectives and experiences are indispensable in addressing these dimensions and ensuring equitable solutions," Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda said.

CCC, Senator Loren Legarda and AIM partner to bolster women leaders in climate action.

"The SLL-CDRR program is a strategic investment in human capital, enabling the shift from fragility to agility and changing the climate change narrative from victim to victor. Through this, women, in particular, will no longer be seen as vulnerable; instead, they will be part of the story, actively contributing to the solutions to climate change," CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje said.

The SLL-CDRR program will enable recipients to pursue specialization in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (CCAM) and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM), aligning their scholastic outputs with the policy priorities of the CCC, including the National Climate Change Action Plan and the draft National Adaptation Plan.

scholarship program will provide full financial support to outstanding students enrolled in the EMDRCM program starting 29 June.

Eligible for the scholarship are national government personnel focused on CCAM and DRRM, DRRM officers in local government units, leaders from indigenous groups and sustainability and inclusivity champions. Successful candidates selected by the CCC will be awarded a full scholarship covering program and tuition fees, with additional support for participation in required in-person campus activities.

"With each scholar receiving this scholarship, we believe very firmly, we're taking one step closer to the solution we're seeking in terms of a future defined by resilience, sustainability, and resolve," Professor Jikyeong Kang, AIM president said.