What's Happening?
The Shifting the Power Coalition (StPC), a regional alliance established in 2016, is working to integrate women-led and disability-led organizations into climate and humanitarian policy-making across the Pacific. The coalition emphasizes that Pacific women are
often the first responders in crises but are frequently excluded from decision-making processes. StPC aims to redirect power, resources, and recognition from international actors to local women-led and disability-led groups. Their agenda connects women-led early warning systems, accessible ICTs, women-led disaster responses, and gender-transformative climate finance directly to international agreements like the Paris Agreement, particularly its Global Goal on Adaptation and Loss and Damage arrangements. The coalition highlights that these women-led systems are already building resilience on the ground, functioning from village to regional levels, and are crucial for effective climate and disaster infrastructure.
Why It's Important?
The work of the Shifting the Power Coalition is vital because it addresses a critical gap in global climate and disaster response: the underrepresentation and underfunding of local women-led initiatives. By advocating for the recognition and resourcing of these groups, StPC aims to ensure that climate and humanitarian policies are shaped by frontline experiences, leading to more effective and equitable outcomes. This approach challenges traditional top-down models of aid and development, promoting a more inclusive and community-driven strategy. The integration of women-led systems into national and regional adaptation and loss and damage strategies is presented not as an option, but as an existing and essential method for building resilience in the Pacific. This shift in focus can lead to more targeted and impactful interventions, as these organizations possess invaluable local knowledge and established community networks.
What's Next?
The Shifting the Power Coalition and its partners are preparing to engage in upcoming international climate negotiations, including the Pacific Pre-COP and COP31. Their goal is to build a climate advocacy agenda that directly links local realities, such as early warning, protection, and displacement, to global discussions. This engagement will require continued efforts to secure funding, accreditation, and political will to maintain open civic spaces for their participation. The coalition is also advocating for concrete decisions from Pacific leaders to move women-led and disability-led coalitions from the periphery of communiqués to the center of implementation. This includes calls for governments and development partners to set clear targets for directing a defined percentage of regional climate and disaster finance directly to these organizations through flexible, multiyear funding models.
Beyond the Headlines
The efforts of the Shifting the Power Coalition underscore a broader ethical and systemic challenge in global humanitarian and climate action: the need to genuinely empower and resource local communities, particularly marginalized groups, in addressing crises. By framing women-led work as essential climate and disaster infrastructure rather than mere 'projects,' the coalition highlights a fundamental shift in perspective. This approach recognizes the inherent value and sustainability of community-based solutions, which often draw on indigenous knowledge and established social networks. The emphasis on flexible funding models also points to a critical need for donors and governments to adapt their financial mechanisms to better support the dynamic and often unpredictable nature of grassroots organizing and disaster response, ensuring that resources reach those most effectively positioned to use them.
