Our Manifesto

Centering SWANA Voices in the Climate Revolution

We are Climate Sirens. A collective of young women and girls from the SWANA region, united in our fight for climate justice. We are the voices of a generation that refuses to be silenced. Our mission is to amplify the stories, struggles, and solutions of those most affected by the climate crisis, particularly the women and girls who are too often excluded from the conversation. 

We Are Here. We Are Resilient. We Are the Now.

We are the daughters of a region rich in history, culture, and resistance, yet we are continually silenced in global climate decision-making. As young women and girls from the SWANA region, we stand at the crossroads of a global crisis: our lands, our communities, and our futures are threatened by the systems that have historically marginalized and oppressed us.

The Climate Crisis in the SWANA Region.

The SWANA region has long been subjected to colonial exploitation, environmental degradation, and socio-economic injustices. These legacies have left our lands scarred and our people disenfranchised. Climate change has intensified these issues, with women and girls from marginalized communities bearing the brunt of conflict over resources, forced migration, and gender-based violence (GBV).

Our Voices Must Be Heard.

The climate crisis is not just an environmental issue, it is a symptom of deeper systemic failures rooted in colonialism, capitalism, and patriarchy. For centuries, our lands have been exploited, our resources plundered, and our people displaced. This legacy of violence against our Earth and our communities continues today, as our voices are excluded from the rooms where decisions about our present and future are made.

Our Struggle is Deeply Rooted

Conflict over these diminishing resources often leads to displacement, where women and girls from the SWANA region are at constant heightened risk of violence and exploitation during migration. The exploitation of our natural resources, combined with the marginalization of our communities, particularly women and girls, creates a cycle of injustice that threatens our survival. We must recognize that the climate crisis, colonial legacies, and GBV are deeply interconnected, and that addressing one without the others will only perpetuate the systemic oppression we face.

We Demand Representation.

We demand the inclusion of young women and girls from the SWANA region in all climate decision-making processes. Our perspectives, informed by centuries of knowledge and resilience, are crucial in shaping a just and sustainable future.

We are not just stakeholders; we are rights-holders, and our participation is non-negotiable. Furthermore, efforts should be made to actively seek out and incorporate underrepresented voices, rather than to place the onus of participation on these communities.

Intersectionality is a Must.

Our struggle is not isolated. It is deeply connected to the struggles of indigenous communities across the globe, and to the fight against racial, economic, and gender injustices.

We reject any climate solutions that do not address these intersections. A climate justice movement that does not center the most marginalized is no justice.

Collective Liberation

Ceasefire, End Occupation, and Land Back for Palestine.

We write this manifesto grieving more than 40,000 Palestinians brutally murdered by the illegal apartheid and genocidal state of Israel. There must be an immediate ceasefire and the end of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The ongoing genocide, military aggressions, settlement expansion, and environmental degradation in Palestine must cease. We call for the restoration of Palestinian land and resources, supporting the rights of Palestinians to self-determination and environmental justice. International bodies must enforce regulations to halt ecological harm and support the restoration of Palestinian heritage and land.

Decolonize Now.

To address the climate crisis, we must dismantle the systems that created it. This means rejecting the anti-feminist, colonial and capitalist structures that continue to exploit our people and our planet. We advocate for a future that prioritizes the well-being of all people and the earth, a future that is rooted in equity, justice, and sustainability. We hold the solution: our heritages, spiritual beliefs, and methods of production are all deeply grounded in the respect for life.

FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE.

Our Demands

Our 10 Demands for Climate Justice and Gender Equality

  • We demand significant, unrestricted, and long-term funding for young feminists, particularly from SWANA, to lead climate action. Funding must prioritize grassroots organizations and recognize lived experiences, not just academic qualifications.

  • Representation of SWANA women and young people in global climate discussions like COP and UNGA is essential. We call for these events to be relocated to more accessible locations with fewer visa restrictions to ensure meaningful participation, not tokenism.

  • Biased visa policies hinder SWANA activists’ participation in global climate discussions. We demand equal access to international forums and an end to visa restrictions that undermine global cooperation in addressing climate change.

  • Reparations for climate impacts must amount to billions, not millions. These funds should address environmental destruction caused by industrialization, war, and fossil fuel extraction. Debt forgiveness for SWANA countries facing economic crises due to climate change is also critical to ensuring their resilience and sustainable development.

  • We demand the decolonization of climate narratives and international development finance. SWANA indigenous knowledge systems must lead climate solutions, and DFIs must prioritize projects benefiting local communities over Western interests. Structural reforms in DFIs are essential to amplify Global Majority representation.

  • We demand an immediate halt to fossil fuel expansion and corporate exploitation in SWANA. Greenwashed initiatives must end, and polluters should be held accountable through legal action and financial penalties. Investments must shift towards sustainable and community-centered renewable energy projects.

  • Climate policies must recognize and address the disproportionate impact on women and girls, especially in countries like Iran and Sudan. Gender-sensitive disaster responses, support for female farmers, and inclusion of women’s voices in environmental planning are critical. Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) on climate-related reproductive health must also be prioritized.

  • Women and girls at the forefront of climate action in SWANA must be protected. This includes ensuring their physical safety, legal protections, and proper compensation for their work. We call for international accountability for human rights violations in war-affected areas like Palestine, Lebanon, and Sudan.

  • We demand climate resilience strategies that address the root causes of environmental destruction due to war and militarization. This includes investments in disaster risk reduction, sustainable development, and reparations for communities affected by conflict in regions like Palestine, Yemen, and Sudan.

  • Indigenous peoples in SWANA must have their land rights and sovereignty recognized and protected. Climate policies must integrate indigenous agricultural, water management, and conservation practices as vital resources for climate resilience. Additionally, support for youth and protection of cultural heritage must be integral to these policies.

Our Vision for the Future

The future of the SWANA region must be built on justice, equity, and sustainability. It is imperative that the international community, national governments, and local actors take immediate and decisive steps to address the climate crisis with an intersectional, feminist lens. 

We, the young women and girls of SWANA, are not just victims of this crisis; we are leaders and changemakers. We call for nothing less than a complete transformation of the systems that have oppressed our people, devastated our land, and threatened our futures.