In brief
During the UN COP29 climate summit, the Vatican, in collusion with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Russia, obstructed key discussions regarding women's rights, halting a deal that aimed to provide crucial support to women disproportionately affected by climate change. Charities and negotiators warn that this deadlock could threaten progress on gender-related climate initiatives.
The Vatican's stance at the recent UN COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan has raised significant concerns regarding women's rights amidst climate discussions. Sources indicated that the Vatican's Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, has aligned with countries like Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, and Egypt to block efforts that would provide greater support for women facing the severe impacts of climate change.Colombia's environment minister, Susana Muhamad, expressed her frustration over the situation, revealing that this coalition is obstructing a potential agreement designed to enhance financial and practical assistance for women—a group that constitutes 80% of those displaced by climate-related circumstances, according to the UN. For over a decade, the Lima Work Programme on Gender has recognized the disproportionate crises women face during climate emergencies, often exacerbated by societal roles and limited access to reproductive health services. Unfortunately, a proposed plan to update this program was halted due to the Vatican's and others' objection to the term “gender,” fearing it might include transgender individuals and liberal representations of women's rights.Charities like ActionAid have underscored the urgent need to finalize support systems for women endangered by climate impacts, noting that current funding for such initiatives is a mere 0.01%. Observers at the conference described the Vatican's opposition as a shocking deviation from years of accepted dialogue around gender in climate initiatives.While discussing the negotiations, it was revealed that the broader backlash against women’s and LGBTQ+ rights globally played a role in this development, with the Vatican expressing its traditional views against gender fluidity and alternative sexual identities, despite Pope Francis’ more progressive gestures in certain contexts.With just days left in the negotiations, aid organizations alarmingly suggested that the project aimed at supporting women may be at risk of collapse. Speculation around the lack of female representation at the talks, which comprised only 36% of the total negotiating personnel last year, points to a systemic issue of sidelining women's voices in a matter directly impacting their lives.A letter from the EU, now supported by 17 countries at the conference, stressed that addressing climate challenges requires a robust commitment to empowering women and girls. However, with negotiations stalling over ideological differences, the futures of many women severely affected by climate change remain precariously uncertain.
