Soroptimists, NGOs and individuals join together at the People’s Climate March. Their united voice calls on country leaders to take action against climate change at this week’s UN Climate Summit. 

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is hosting a Climate Summit
today, to engage global leaders and to advance action on climate change. To
demonstrate public opinion and support for united action against climate change,
marches and events have taken place in over 2000 locations worldwide and they
have grabbed the headlines! In New York, Soroptimist International UN
Representatives have been playing their part to make sure the voices and needs
of women are heard.

Women are disproportionately affected by climate change, particularly in poor or rural areas. Due to the multiple discriminations faced by women and girls, they face increased vulnerability around food security, paid employment and being able to live free from violence.

Days before today’s Climate Summit, Soroptimist
International UN Representatives took part in the world’s biggest march
against climate change yet. SI UN Rep Bette Levy described the experience in Manhattan as ‘an
amazing historical event’.

 

"Climate change is a defining issue of our time … There is no time to lose. If we do not take action now we will have to pay much more.” Ban Ki-moon speaking at the Peoples’ Climate March in Manhattan.

Climate change is a central issue of discussion for the new post-2015 development agenda that is being drawn-up. As Soroptimists, and other
NGOs know, the effects of climate change worsens inequalities seen throughout
the world. To make sure that the position of NGOs is heard loud and clear they
have united by created joint statements to be given to governments and marching
side-by-side. 

‘SI marched with the Women for Climate Justice contingent
and other women’s groups… people were there for many different causes and 1570
organisations actually were officially signed up to participate including
Soroptimist International’ explains SI UN Representative Bette Levy, ‘It was a
good day – people of all ages, lots of youth and children as well as people on
crutches and in wheelchairs were there’.

 

Soroptimist International UN Representative Bette Levy at the People’s Climate March in Manhattan.

Around 400, 000 people are estimated to have marched in
Manhattan alone, with Ban Ki-moon being amongst them. As well as those marching,
the streets were lined with people and organisations who did not march but
wanted to show their support.

Soroptimist International has given its support for united
action against climate change by contributing, and signing-on to statements
that clearly express the needs of women who are affected by climate change. By creating their own united voice, NGOs are becoming harder to ignore!

 

“Climate
change widens the gender inequality gap. This aggravates women’s
vulnerability to climate change due to their social exclusion in developing
communities, inadequate resources, retrogressive culture and lack of mobility.
In addition, lack of economic and social rights contribute to disproportionate
losses of lives among women than men during disasters such as droughts, floods,
mudslides/landslides, tsunamis, among other hazards.  The situation is
worsened by inadequate representation of women in decision-making processes at
the household, community and policy levels, thus limiting their contribution,” says Dr Alice Odingo, SI UN
Representative and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geography
and Environmental Studies at the University of Nairobi. You can read more in
this SoroptiVoice blog.

The role that climate change plays in the lives of women is not new to
Soroptimists. By marching, and by working with NGOs at the UN on the issue of
climate change SI UN Reps are giving a global voice to the communities that
Soroptimists work with. Taking action against climate change is an essential
part of development, and how women are effected by climate change needs to be
addressed!