Dr Alice Odingo, one of Soroptimist International’s UN Representatives in Nairobi, has been elected as one of four Global Co-ordinators of the Women’s Major Group at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

"A woman’s voice and participation is the catalyst environmentalists need for sustainability", says Dr Odingo. "When I was elected as one of the four Global Women Major Group Coordinators, I was happy for SI and it is timely due to the work Rose and I have been doing in UNEP.  It means that SI will be part and parcel of Agenda setting for Women Major Group activities and meetings and will be more visible in UNEP.  However, Rose and I will have to dedicate more time to UNEP to achieve the expectations. With your support and that of SI, we are determined to deliver."

UNEP, based in Nairobi, is particularly concerned with climate change and environmental governance. Alice Odingo and Rose Mwangi have represented SI at the UN in Nairobi, which is a single-agency centre,  since February 2011 and are active members of the Women’s Major Group. In February, both UN reps attended UNEP’s Governing Council in Nairobi, taking part in the negotiations and high level roundtable dialogues with ministers. 

Dr Odingo teaches in the Geography Department of the University of Nairobi and has published a book on poverty alleviation as a strategy to sustainable food security. She played an active role in the Women Major Stakeholder Group submission for Rio+20, representing SI during the discussions.

Alice was also one of the leaders of a joint Soroptimist Kenya-Denmark climate change project (2010-12) related to cleaner production in female dominated industries. The project “Woman and Climate Change” supports climate change mitigation and adaptation by women in households, industries and to capacity build members of Soroptimists International Kenya. 

Image: Dr Alice Odingo (left) and Rose Mwangi, SI UN Representatives in Nairobi