Climate Pressenza
Unique Declaration by Indigenous Women from Around the World to COP31 Negotiators
From 9 to 21 November the annual climate conference (COP) is taking place in Antalya, Turkey. The Women and Gender Constituency is one of nine official non-governmental constituencies there. They each
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From 9 to 21 November the annual climate conference (COP) is taking place in Antalya, Turkey.
The Women and Gender Constituency is one of nine official non-governmental constituencies there. They each represent plenty of member organizations, observe the decision-making and can introduce interventions at the official meetings where delegates of the states eventually agree on final declarations by consent.
On Tuesday, 10 November I witnessed the first reading of the “Declaration of Indigenous Women, Women with Disabilities, and Youth” to the Women and Gender Constituency at COP31 in Antalya. The document sets out five priorities to inform COP31 negotiations and five accountability benchmarks to assess governments’ commitments to climate finance, the protection of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and the meaningful participation of Indigenous women in climate decision-making.
Women representatives from women NGOs and Indigenous women , all from around the world, together at a Women and Gender Constituency meeting. / Credit: Helga Merkelbach
At the regular morning meetings all of us were wearing red – standing for our solidarity with indigenous people and to honor Indigenous women’s and girls’ leadership. Soon women joined us in all their colorful clothing, appearance and identities. Each from a different region of our planet, English not their home language, they read out their statement which they had agreed on and present to the leaders meeting at the climate conference. These women hold the knowledge, experience and the wisdom for preserving Mother Earth and ask for participation in finding solutions for our planet.
Women from all different sociocultural regions of the world reading their declaration at WGC, COP31 / Credit: Helga Merkelbach
It was touching to see all these colors of our world, to feel the warmth of women embracing a unified voice for care, care for Mother Earth, care for the future of our children, care for life. The Women and Gender Constituency are intervening in entering this Declaration into the COP negotiations.