Wen has launched a feminist leadership programme for emerging environmental change-makers in Tower Hamlets.
Over the year long programme, funded by Rosa: the UK fund for women and girls, Wen will work with eight paid interns supporting them through a tailored programme of training, one-to-one support, practical hands-on work experience and workshops.
Many of the workshops will be open to local residents, to help build the skills and confidence to speak out on the environmental issues that matter to them. The programme also aims to increase the involvement of under-represented groups -particularly Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) women- in environmental forums.
Supporting diversity in decision-making is more important than ever. Just 4% of World Energy Council Chairs are held by women (Environment & Gender Index) and in the UK, women represent only 32% of MPs in the House of Commons.
Wen’s Chair of Trustees, Halima Begum, who grew up in Tower Hamlets, said:
“We want to grow a new generation of leaders in the environmental movement, who would become equipped, skilled and empowered to seek solutions for environmental justice”.We’re delighted to welcome our first cohort of talented interns: Clyo Parecchini, Shaira Begum, Nasra Dirir and Shaheda Aziz who will be joining WEN between July and October 2017. The second round of applications will be open from November 2017. The Rosa project will complement an existing grant from Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust which aims to strengthen the links between women’s groups and environmental organisations, and bring a greater diversity of voices into the environmental mainstream.
