Guatemala City.This week, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM, the Defense of Indigenous Women, DEMI, the Foundation Guatemala, Groots International, the commission Huarou and association Ak'Tenamit, have meet to start a joint initiatives to promote the participation of indigenous women in the issue of climate change in terms of adaptation, disaster risk reduction, technology transfer and financing in Guatemala.
To accomplish this important objective, UNIFEM sponsored the participation of a delegation of Guatemalan indigenous women in the XV Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.
At the conference DEMI formed alliances with civil society organizations already working in the field of environment. The initial alliances are with Foundation Guatemala and the Indigenous Roundtable for climate change. 
The Copenhagen summit has highlighted the difficulties that exist today in the highest level of decision-makers to reach basic agreements aimed at tackling the gigantic problem of climate change.
Gender as a main factor in climate change is related to the fact that it is women all over the world that bear the brunt of natural disasters, and the natural disasters are expected to increase.
"Climate change certainly brings into question the need for reconfiguration of the approaches and policy measures related to conservation of biodiversity, food production, the energy sources and individual development paradigms, highlighting the unequal power relations between countries, "said Rita Cassisi, Coordinator of the UNIFEM Program Office.
Cassisi adds: "Faced with the effects of climate change, the international community shares the initiative:" Act now, act together, act differently. "
Women have the potential to mobilize against climate change, but it is vitally important to implement policies to eliminate discrimination and give greater access to resources.
Source: UNIFEM Guatemala
Pictures: Courtesy UNIFEM
