The event is geared towards a significant step in Mrs Bawumia’s relentless campaign against climate change and its attendant effects on women and children.  

As the convener and Chairperson of the Africa Women and Children Conference (AFRIWOCC) as well as a recognised Global Ambassador of the United Nations Foundation’s Clean Cooking Alliance, Mrs Bawumiah will host and address Climate Change Adaptation Workshop and the West Africa Cluster Meetings, which will delve into the report on the effects of climate change in the Gulf of Guinea.

The meetings, held under the auspices of the prestigious Salata Institute for Climate Sustainability at Harvard University; Stanley Center for Peace and Security; the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University; and the FBX Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, aim to confront the urgent challenges posed by climate change.

Discussions

The discussions will critically assess the shared threats of climate change, such as extreme heat, flash flooding, sea level rise, and severe droughts, and their impacts on health, livelihoods, and the environment in West Africa and South Asia (both regions in the Global South).

The conversations are expected to transform into actionable policies by national governments, influencing climate adaptation strategies in these vulnerable regions.

Additionally, the outcomes from these discussions will contribute to the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability-funded research, currently spearheaded by faculty research clusters on climate adaptation in West Africa and South Asia.

Participants

Participants include Vice Provost for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University, James H. Stock, Ellen Gurney Professor of History and Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University, Emmanuel Akyeampong, Assistant Professor in Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Satchit Balsari, , Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, and Environmental Science and Engineering at Harvard University, Peter Huybers, among other renowned experts in climate studies.

About AFRIWOCC

Initiated by Hajia Mrs. Samira Bawumia, through the Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects (SEHP), AFRIWOCC is a biennial high-level conference focused on women and children within the African continent.

The inaugural event was held in Accra on August 2 to 3, 2023, under the theme "Amplifying the Voices of Women and Children in Climate Action". It brought together global leaders to engage in critical dialogues on climate impacts.

Notable among the speakers at the inaugural event included President of the Republic, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Her Excellency Amina Mohammed, and Director General of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.