Today, on the occasion of International Women's Day (IWD), UNEP OzonAction would like to express our best wishes and sincere thanks to all our female colleagues working in National Ozone Units for your leadership, outstanding dedication, great intellectual input, and tireless work on the Montreal Protocol! This treaty is often referred to as the most successful multilateral environmental agreement to date, and both women and men take equal credit in making this amazing achievement possible. OzonAction is extremely proud of all the female Ozone Officers, Assistant Ozone Officers, technical experts, and support staff, as well the women in national stakeholder groups and partner organizations, notably those in the refrigeration, air conditioning, and customs. Through your work, you are providing girls and young women who are interested in pursuing careers in environmental protection with a role model by showing them that there are successful women in Montreal Protocol fields – you are indirectly investing in their future.
This year’s IWD theme is “Invest in women: Accelerate progress.” Empowering women and promoting gender equality in line with Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality is crucial for accelerating sustainable development, of which the Montreal Protocol is a part. On this celebratory day, I encourage both men and women in National Ozone Units to reflect on the importance of further investing in women by including, involving, and empowering them in different facets of our work. IWD is also a perfect opportunity to outreach examples of the women in your country who work on ozone and climate issues to youth, schools and the public.
Gender mainstreaming is an integral part of OzonAction’s own work and activities, and we organized several meetings on this theme in 2023. Please visit our website and learn more about OzonAction’s engagement in incorporating and promoting gender into its work, both internally and externally.
In relation to this year’s IWD theme, we interviewed nine women who have contributed to the implementation of the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment to tell us their success stories in environmental protection and leadership. We hope these stories from women in different roles and regions will inspire everyone to fully embrace gender equality. The stories will be published sequentially on the OzonAction website between 8 and 31 March 2024, so stay tuned.
Together as equals, women and men can do more, can do better, and can accelerate progress for the betterment of our environment and planet.
Once again, I wish everyone a Happy International Women’s Day and look forward to working with all of you to continue promoting gender equality in the context of the Montreal Protocol and its Kigali Amendment.
James S. Curlin
Head of OzonAction Branch,
UNEP Law Division
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Inspiring stories from nine Women - published sequentially between 8 and 31 March 2024
| Yvette Gauthé Boko | Une femme fort à la tête du Bureau national de l'ozone au Benin |
| Sarah Nakanyika | A Woman Leading Cooling Advancement in Zambia |
| Cecilia Mercado | Breaking Barriers - legacy of environmental leadership and empowerment |
| Liazzat Rabbiosi | A Woman Facilitating International Environmental Policy-making |
| Marta Pizano | A trailblazer's path from research to global policy |
| Laura Lopez | Impulsando la implementación del Protocolo de Montreal y la equidad de género en Guatemala |
| Colleen Keyworth | From Family Roots to Industry Beacon: Leading Advocate for Women in HVACR |
| Samira de Gobert | Leading Change in Environmental Communication and Women's Empowerment |
| Miruza Mohamed | A Woman Behind the Maldives’ Environmental Transformation |
