Research in action

Our research aligns to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal’s (SDGs) and these are addressed and integrated through continuous meetings, talks and knowledge exchange.

It is via our ground breaking conferences that we focus on the way that climate change and its environmental consequences will impact on all including women. It is through these conferences that we share our knowledge, create awareness of the SDGs and look at the roles of women in research, policies and decision-making processes, leadership and community needs.

The key outcomes from these sessions provide the insight into the next steps of implementing and integrating WiES in research and other spheres of life.

The key SDGs that WiES focuses its research on:

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  Agriculture and community engagement

  Natural disasters can have implications for food security, health, stability and security of individuals and communities. By learning to pool people’s skills collectively, we can build capacity to re-build our communities through socio-ecological interactions. Dr Georgina McAllister explored this in her recent conference talk on social-ecological relationships through farming systems

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  Education

  Citizen science provides opportunities for non-scientists to conduct research that is relevant to them and may not be on the agenda of major academic institutions. Citizen science can thus empower communities - and women in particular – to become more involved in environmental science and to benefit more from environmental research. Find out more on the commitment to education and educational summer schools for aspiring scientists. 

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  Energy

  The future of mixed-energy economy suggests that clean energy requires geo-technical and sub-surface engineers including women. Therefore, to sustain the needs of the energy sector, there is a critical need for female scientists and engineers. Cathy Hollis explored Hydrocarbon exploration at the 2018 conference. 

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  Health

  It is important to acknowledge that women and children are the most vulnerable to climate change effects. These groups can be more susceptible to diseases, especially young children and pregnant women. Health, wellbeing and environmental changes were discussed at a recent conference session. 

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  Leadership and gender equality

  Inclusiveness is one of the bedrocks to effective leadership - different colours, gender, groups including volunteers play critical roles in the implementation of environmental strategies. Effective leadership is also about helping individuals to achieve their individual goals, and gain fulfilling careers. This talk and knowledge exchange session was delivered and facilitated by Dr Olutayo Adebowale, Director at Cirkadia.

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  Policy and research

  From conducting policy-relevant, interdisciplinary research on climate change we have learnt that this type of research has positive implications for society. With women playing their roles in shaping policy through science and engineering, the more policies will reflect the true diversity of society. This talk was delivered by Professor Alice Larkin.

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  Sustainable cities

  The future of urban areas can be sustained through the implementation of practices that promote a greener future. Urban green infrastructure and its links with human health and wellbeing was discussed at one of our recent conferences. 

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  Water and sanitation

  Progress has been made in increasing access to clean drinking water and sanitation, but many people, predominately in rural areas, still lack these basic services. A recent conference discussion looked at how we integrate knowledge within and between communities to minimise the impact of floods or droughts on women and children.