APWLD Climate Justice Programme 2026

APWLD invites women-led grassroots organisations in Asia and the Pacific to apply for its Climate Justice Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) 2026–2027, focusing on resisting imperialism and ocean resource extractivism through feminist, community-led research and advocacy.

Advancing Feminist Climate Justice Through Participatory Research

The Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) has announced a call for applications for its Climate Justice Programme’s Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) 2026–2027. Titled “Waves of Resistance Against Imperialism and the Extractivism of Ocean Resources: Strengthening Women’s Movement for Climate Justice,” this initiative seeks to support women-led, grassroots organisations across Asia and the Pacific in documenting lived realities and advancing evidence-based advocacy for climate and economic justice.

With a strong commitment to feminist leadership and community-driven knowledge, APWLD’s FPAR creates space for grassroots women to shape climate discourse from the local to the global level. Applications are open to eligible organisations, with a submission deadline of 30 January 2026.

About the Climate Justice FPAR Programme

The Climate Justice FPAR is a structured, mentored research and advocacy journey that runs from 2026 to 2027. Through this programme, APWLD will partner with six grassroots or national women-led organisations to conduct participatory research alongside their communities between April 2026 and August 2027.

The programme aims to strengthen the capacity of feminists and grassroots women to document and expose the impacts of imperialism and ocean resource extractivism on women’s human rights. It also seeks to enhance feminist monitoring of blue economy policies, influence governance instruments, and mobilise communities for climate justice rooted in lived experience, local wisdom, and women’s leadership.

Why Focus on the Blue Economy and Ocean Extractivism?

APWLD identifies the so-called blue economy as a new frontier of extractivism driven by imperialist interests, trade liberalisation, deregulation, and privatisation. Under the banner of development and “green growth,” ocean-based industries such as fisheries, tourism, shipping, and coastal resource extraction are increasingly promoted as climate solutions.

However, these policies and investments often prioritise profit over equity, sustainability, and human rights. For coastal and island communities—particularly women, small-scale fishers, and Indigenous peoples—this results in displacement, environmental degradation, loss of livelihoods, and violations of fundamental rights.

While global frameworks such as the UNFCCC, Paris Agreement, and Green Climate Fund shape climate agendas, national implementation through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Blue Economy Strategies, and Gender Action Plans (GAPs) determines real outcomes on the ground. APWLD’s FPAR responds to the urgent need for community-led monitoring and feminist engagement in these decision-making processes.

Key Research Focus Areas

The Climate Justice FPAR 2026–2027 will focus on the impacts of imperialism and ocean resource extractivism on women’s human rights and climate policies at local and national levels. Research will be conducted across the following thematic streams:

Fisheries and Coastal Communities: Impacts of marine and coastal climate development projects on livelihoods, food security, and marine biodiversity
Climate Projects in Coastal and Marine Areas: Effects of land reclamation, sea wall construction, renewable energy projects, marine protected areas, and industrial aquaculture
Deep-Sea and Sand Mining: Extraction of critical minerals under the justification of energy transition
Conservation Projects: Blue carbon initiatives and carbon trading schemes that displace coastal communities and undermine food sovereignty and livelihoods
Marine Geo-engineering: High-risk, unproven technologies such as carbon dioxide removal and carbon capture and storage that enable sea grabbing and damage marine ecosystems

These focus areas reflect APWLD’s concern with so-called “false solutions” that deepen inequality while failing to address the root causes of the climate crisis.

Support Provided to Partner Organisations

APWLD will provide each selected organisation with a sub-grant of up to USD 14,000 for the duration of the FPAR journey. This funding is intended to cover:

Salary costs for a dedicated young woman researcher
Community-based research activities
Capacity-building initiatives for women and communities involved in the FPAR

Following the completion of the research phase, an additional advocacy-focused sub-grant will be made available to support local and national advocacy activities aligned with FPAR findings.

Beyond financial support, APWLD will offer intensive mentorship, research training, and access to regional and global climate advocacy spaces. Mentors and young women researchers will participate in capacity-building modules on feminist, participatory research methods, data gathering, and systems analysis, with English as the primary working language.

Who Can Apply

Applications are open to non-governmental, non-profit, feminist, and women-led organisations in Asia and the Pacific that demonstrate:

Experience working with grassroots women and their communities
Strong understanding of climate crises and ocean extractivism impacts on women
Ability to provide a dedicated mentor and young woman researcher for the full FPAR period
Capacity to conduct participatory research that strengthens feminist democratic leadership
Ability to produce reports and documentation in English

Organisations from East Asia and the Pacific sub-regions, those with prior participatory research and advocacy experience, and those endorsed by APWLD members are particularly encouraged to apply.

Application Process

Interested organisations must submit a completed application form via email to:

Ranjana Giri
Climate Justice Programme Officer, APWLD
Email: [email protected]

Applications must use the subject line:
Application form_CJ FPAR_2026-2027_(Name of Organisation)

Applicants are advised to download and review the official application form and concept note before submission.

Strengthening Feminist Resistance for Climate Justice

The Climate Justice FPAR 2026–2027 represents a powerful opportunity for grassroots women’s movements to shape climate narratives, challenge extractivist development models, and advance feminist alternatives grounded in justice and sustainability. By centring women’s lived experiences and leadership, APWLD continues to build a regional movement capable of influencing climate governance and resisting imperialism in all its forms.

For organisations committed to feminist research, collective action, and climate justice, this call offers both the resources and the platform to make a lasting impact.