COP29 - 19 November 2024
God of Equality - sees all as equal

reflection 

There is a huge amount of inequality in our world, and much of it is exacerbated by the issues arising from climate change. We see it in wealth versus poverty, race and ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, age, location… And the Bible speaks to all of it, although, inconveniently, not always through a simple verse or two that we can lift and say, "There! That's what God thinks!”

As COP29 draws close to its finishing line, we have decided to turn our attention to one particular inequality, gender; and more especially the inequality experienced by women. We would love to be able to choose a definitive few verses that spoke directly to this issue, but sadly, there are none, which is probably why the church itself has something of an ambiguous history in this area.

In the context of climate change, World Vision tells us that “women often simultaneously have a foot in two camps. On one hand they can be one of the most vulnerable groups in the world and on the other they have a proven track record for dealing in innovative ways with change.”  And the Bible certainly has a lot to say about vulnerability, particularly because it so often leads to injustice.  In our reading today, from the start of Isaiah, God does not pull any punches. The worship offered by the Israelites was worse than worthless in his eyes, because they routinely failed to care for the vulnerable in their midst. 

So what makes women and girls one of the most vulnerable groups of people in the world? Here are a few of the causes:

• Climate change disproportionately affects people living in poverty and whose livelihood is based on agriculture, and women dominate these two groups.

• Women can work the land but often they are not allowed to own it, making access to resources difficult, and often making them ineligible to participate in initiatives to help farmers adapt to climate change.

• Women are more likely to work in the informal sector, making their livelihoods more vulnerable to negative economic and environmental impacts.

• Women are more likely to be responsible for domestic tasks e.g. collecting water and wood, tasks that become more onerous in times of drought.

• During and after climate-related events, women and girls are more exposed to gender-based violence.

• Climate-related events are known to increase the incidences of child marriage for girls.

• In a crisis, girls are less likely than boys to continue their education.

• Women are more likely to be injured or killed during a natural disaster because illiteracy prevents them from accessing safety information and they lack basic survival skills like the ability to swim.

And it will come as no surprise to learn that women are underrepresented at all levels in environmental decision-making, a truth the world over. 

But women are innovative and practical, and they have strong community relationships and, given the right support, they can help whole communities to adapt. In his book, The Hole in Our Gospel, World Vision U.S. President Emeritus Rich Stearns writes, “In my opinion, the single most significant thing that can be done to cure extreme poverty is this: Protect, educate, and nurture girls and women and provide them with equal rights and opportunities — educationally, economically, and socially” (World Vision).

We finish today by returning to our Isaiah reading, and God's desire for justice to be part of our worship. It's a challenge, and each of us will have a different response, but perhaps our shared first steps could be awareness and prayer.

prayer

Father God, thank you for the opportunities many girls and women have in the UK to be safe, educated, to work, and to be able to make choices. 

Forgive us that we are blind to issues of injustices that are all around us.

We confess our ignorance around issues like modern slavery and domestic violence.  We ask that those who are hidden, manipulated, exploited and living in fear will be liberated.

Amen

at cop29

Gender equality will be considered at the COP on Thursday 21 November 2024. The COP29 focus on women includes several key initiatives throughout the COP aimed at promoting gender equality and ensuring that women's voices are heard in climate action:

• Enhanced Lima Work Programme on Gender (LWPG) and Gender Action Plan (GAP): The final review of the enhanced LWPG and its GAP will identify progress, challenges, gaps, and priorities in implementing the GAP. If you don't know what the LWPG and GAP are (we didn't), we've provided an explanation here.

• A high-level event on gender equality, transparency, and accountability (on 21 November 2024).

• Gender-Responsive Climate Policies: The compilation and synthesis report on the implementation of gender-responsive climate policies, plans, strategies, and actions reported by Parties will be considered. (Parties are countries signed up to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)).

• Gender and Climate Finance: Discussions will focus on ensuring that climate finance is gender-responsive and supports women's full, equal, and meaningful participation in climate action.

The Women and Gender Constituency (WGC) is actively involved, advocating for gender equality to be at the centre of COP29 outcomes. They emphasise the need for an intersectional approach that includes the voices of women from marginalised groups and Indigenous Peoples.

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🗓️ Today at COP29: The focus is on Food, Agriculture and Water