Picture this: Our mighty oceans, teeming with life and sustaining countless communities, are under siege from powerful interests that prioritize profits over people—especially women who have long been the guardians of these waters. But here's where it gets revolutionary: grassroots women are banding together to fight back through innovative research and advocacy. If you're passionate about climate justice, keep reading—this call to action could be your chance to join the wave of change.
Call for Applications: Climate Justice Programme’s Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) 2026–2027
Theme: Waves of Resistance Against Imperialism and the Extractivism of Ocean Resources: Strengthening Women’s Movements for Climate Justice
Application Deadline: 30 January 2026
Hey there, fellow advocates and changemakers! The Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), a leading voice for women's rights across the globe, is reaching out to grassroots women's rights organizations and women-led movements in Asia and the Pacific. They're looking for partners to join their Climate Justice Feminist Participatory Action Research (CJ FPAR) program, running from 2026 to 2027. If you're new to this, Feminist Participatory Action Research—or FPAR—is a collaborative approach where community members, especially women, actively participate in designing, conducting, and using research to drive real-world change. This isn't just about gathering data; it's about empowering everyday voices to shape policies that affect their lives.
The heart of this program lies in confronting the relentless push of imperialism—think powerful nations or corporations dominating weaker ones for resources—and the extractivism of ocean resources, where natural wealth is exploited without regard for long-term harm. By focusing here, the initiative aims to bolster women's leadership and movements in the fight for climate justice. Through CJ FPAR, APWLD wants to equip feminists and grassroots women with tools to capture their real-life stories, build solid evidence, and sway climate and economic policies from local communities all the way up to international stages. And this is the part most people miss: it positions women not just as victims, but as experts, researchers, advocates, and trailblazers in the global quest for fairness.
Purpose and Objectives of the FPAR
At its core, the Climate Justice FPAR is designed to achieve several key goals that build a stronger foundation for justice:
- Empower community-driven research rooted in personal experiences, ensuring that the voices of those most affected lead the way.
- Record the real-world effects of imperialism and ocean resource exploitation on women's human rights, painting a clear picture of the challenges they face.
- Unveil the unequal burdens placed on women by ocean-related projects, like those tied to the 'blue economy' (which we'll explain more on shortly) and climate initiatives, highlighting how these often deepen gender disparities.
- Enhance the skills of grassroots women to actively shape climate governance and policy debates, giving them a seat at the table where decisions are made.
- Enable ongoing oversight by feminist groups and communities of global commitments on climate and ocean economies, keeping leaders accountable.
- Spark widespread action for climate and economic equity, mobilizing people to demand better for their futures.
This approach fundamentally honors grassroots women as keepers of vital knowledge, turning them into key players in research, advocacy, and leadership for a just climate.
Research Focus Areas
For this upcoming cycle, APWLD will select six organizations from Asia and the Pacific to collaborate with their local communities. They'll carry out FPAR from April 2026 through August 2027, diving deep into how imperialism and ocean extractivism impact women's rights and climate policies at local or national levels. To make this relatable, think of extractivism as the aggressive taking of resources—like mining or overfishing—often by big corporations, leaving communities with little say or benefit. The research must align with at least one of these thematic streams, each exploring different facets of ocean-related challenges:
Fisheries and Coastal Communities: Examining how climate shifts and development plans disrupt daily livelihoods and food security, or how the decline in marine life threatens small-scale fishing families. For example, rising sea levels might force coastal women to adapt their traditional fishing practices, putting extra strain on their roles in providing for households.
Climate Projects in Coastal and Marine Areas: Looking at massive engineering feats like land reclamation for cities or huge sea walls, the growth of renewable energy setups in ocean spaces (such as offshore wind farms), and the creation of marine protected zones alongside industrial fish farming. But here's where it gets controversial: are these 'green' projects truly sustainable, or do they displace communities without fair compensation? This stream invites us to question if progress comes at the cost of equity.
Deep-Sea and Sand Mining: Investigating the removal of vital minerals hidden in the ocean floor, often marketed as essential for the shift to clean energy, and the potential dangers to underwater ecosystems and nearby shore dwellers. Imagine the irony: mining for 'green' technology that might harm the very oceans we need to combat climate change.
Conservation Projects: Scrutinizing schemes like blue carbon initiatives (which aim to capture carbon in coastal plants) and carbon trading markets, as well as how these can lead to the eviction of coastal populations and undermine food independence. This includes barring traditional fishers and Indigenous ocean peoples from protected areas, raising debates about who gets to 'protect' nature and at what expense.
Marine Geo-engineering: Exploring risky, untested methods such as removing carbon dioxide from the air or storing it underwater, alongside projects that trap carbon emissions. These could involve 'sea grabbing'—essentially claiming ocean territories—and pose threats to marine life and local ways of life. And this is the part most people miss: these high-stakes experiments are often pushed by tech giants, but who bears the brunt if they fail?
Context and Rationale
To really grasp why this program matters, let's break it down. APWLD sees the 'blue economy'—a concept encompassing ocean-based industries like fishing, tourism, shipping, and coastal building—as a fresh battleground for extractivism fueled by imperialist agendas, free trade deals, relaxed regulations, and private ownership. It's often touted as a pathway to climate solutions, promising jobs and growth. However, in practice, these industries frequently chase profits and superficial 'green' expansion over genuine fairness, environmental care, and respect for human rights.
Internationally, agreements like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement, and the Green Climate Fund set the tone for global climate efforts. Yet, the real test happens at the national level through things like Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)—each country's plan to cut emissions—and specific strategies for the blue economy or gender-focused action plans. If these aren't implemented justly, the promises of equity can fall flat. That's why supporting grassroots women and communities to track government pledges and participate actively in decisions about their environments, incomes, and rights is crucial. Without this, we risk repeating the same inequalities.
Support, Grants, and Capacity Building
APWLD is committed to backing the six chosen partner organizations every step of the way, providing a robust support system to make success possible.
This includes:
A sub-grant of up to USD 14,000 per group for the FPAR duration, covering essentials like salaries for a dedicated young female researcher and activities to engage and build community skills.
Post-FPAR funding for further advocacy, such as local or national campaigns, policy involvement, and efforts to grow movements for change.
Beyond financial aid, participants will gain:
- Guidance from seasoned feminist researchers and activists, offering mentorship tailored to real-world challenges.
- Entry to advanced training programs that sharpen abilities in research, analysis, and responsible data collection.
- Chances to connect in regional and worldwide climate advocacy forums, fostering collaboration.
- Links to broader networks of feminist and climate justice groups, amplifying voices for greater impact.
Specialized FPAR training sessions will be offered to mentors and young researchers, emphasizing hands-on methods, feminist perspectives that center gender equity, and ethical practices in handling information. The main language for this program will be English, ensuring clear communication across diverse backgrounds.
Selection Criteria
To qualify, applying organizations should be non-governmental, non-profit groups that are feminist-led and focused on women's empowerment in Asia and the Pacific. They need proven experience collaborating with grassroots women and communities, plus familiarity with climate justice and the harms of ocean extractivism on women. Key requirements include providing a committed mentor and a young female researcher for the entire program period, the ability to perform participatory feminist research, and the capacity to create English-language reports and materials.
Preferred qualities that make applications stand out:
- Roots in East Asia or the Pacific regions.
- Endorsements from APWLD members, if available.
- Past involvement in participatory research projects.
- Active roles in climate justice efforts, including challenges to misleading 'solutions' that ignore social costs.
Application Process
Ready to apply? Submit your filled-out application form by email to get started.
Details are:
- Email: [emailprotected]
- Contact: Ranjana Giri, Climate Justice Programme Officer
- Subject Line: Application formCJ FPAR2026-2027_(Name of Organisation)
Don't forget to check out and review the downloadable application form and the in-depth concept note for full guidance.
Keep an eye out—a companion WITCH FPAR opportunity centered on trade, militarism, corporate dominance, and neoliberal policies will launch in February 2026.
Head over to the official website to apply and learn more: https://apwld.org/vacancy-call-for-climate-justice-programmes-feminist-participatory-action-research-fpar-2026-2027/
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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) (https://www.globalsouthopportunities.com/) isn't the funding body here. Reach out directly to APWLD for any questions, and please avoid sending applications to GSO—we can't handle them. With the sheer number of messages we get, we might not reply to everyone. Thanks for understanding!
What do you think? Is the blue economy a genuine step toward climate justice, or just another guise for exploitation? And how can women's voices reshape these global policies? Share your thoughts, agreements, or disagreements in the comments—let's spark a conversation on building a fairer world!
