Women and girls are among the hardest hit by the climate crisis and often lead in finding solutions and building resilience. Yet, at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, only 8 out of 78 world leaders are women. This clearly highlights a lack of diversity and inclusivity at the negotiation table at the biggest UN climate summit of the year.
The number 8/78 is noted from a now-viral COP29 family photo.
Of the 8 women in the photo, two are vice presidents.
It is a well-known fact that climate change disproportionately affects women. According to the United Nations, women and girls, particularly in rural areas, face disproportionate impacts from climate change. The UN estimates that women and children are 14 times more at risk of losing their lives than men in the face of extreme weather disasters.
UN estimates show that 4 out of 5, or 80%, of people displaced by climate change consequences are women and girls.
“We know women are two and half times more likely to push for more ambitious climate action. So we need to hear women’s voices more than ever.”
Catherine McKenna, former Canada climate minister and Chair of the UN Expert Group on Net Zero, told the BBC at COP29.
Women play a key role in driving climate solutions and building resilient communities. And yet they remain underrepresented at COP29 and in national climate decisions. Their voices and perspectives are invaluable and must be included at the table when it comes to combating and adapting to climate change.
“Everywhere, women and girls are taking action to confront the climate and environmental crisis,”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated back in 2022.
Though women are environmental stewards, they’re responsible for half of the world’s food production (which rises to 80% in some developing countries), are at the forefront of environmental conservation efforts with their invaluable traditional and local knowledge and practices, yet they face numerous challenges when it comes to accessing resources, knowledge, modern technology, and basic rights to have a permanent space in global decision-making processes in climate action.
Studies have noted a clear link between the leadership of empowered women and meaningful climate action. For instance, in countries where the proportion of women is higher in parliament or in the decision-making process, stricter climate policies are implemented, and more international treaties are ratified.
Also Read | WMO’s State of the Climate 2024 Report Issues Red Alert as COP29 Kicks Off in Azerbaijan | Earth’s Freshwater Crisis: Shocking NASA Data Reveals Abrupt Global Drop Since 2014
Limited women’s voices in global climate negotiations show a lack of inclusivity from climate actors. COP29, though preaching to be an inclusive summit for all, is contradicted by the official family photo of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change for all to see.
At UN climate conferences, delegations might be growing, but women’s representation remains alarmingly low. At COP28 in the UAE in 2023, for example, only 15 of 133 world leaders were women.
