President Heine emphasizes integrated solutions, leveraging Pacific women’s talents to achieve sustainable gender parity
By Netani Rika – Majuro, Marshall Islands
CLIMATE justice and gender equality cannot be achieved separately, a women’s conference heard here. Marshall Islands President, Dr Hilda C. Heine, said the climate crisis faced in the Pacific and the world would make gender equality more difficult to attain. “For example, we know that we cannot have gender equality without climate justice, and vice versa,” Heine said.
Her comments were made as the 15 th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women gathered in the Northern Pacific for the first time in 40 years. “Our aspirations are shared,” Heine told delegates. “We have convened on Majuro this week because of one of those aspirations is the empowerment of Pacific women and girls in all their diversities and ultimately to reach gender parity in our region.’’
Heine said that for gender parity to be achieved, every Pacific woman’s ability, talent dreams would need to be harnessed. “We must draw on the resourcefulness of Pacific Women, rich in our diverse cultures and traditions, to map a way forward for us, tapping into our region’s diversity and creativity to find solutions that are embedded in our Pacific philosophies and world views,’’ she said.
“We know that the climate crisis will make achieving gender equality even harder – and that we cannot solve the climate crisis without gender equality.’’
Heine said women were often hit fastest and hardest by climate impacts. “They are the first responders of the family, responsible for ensuring that the family is
taken care of and healthy,’’ she told the 15 th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women. “As climate change brings droughts, they are charged with securing water; when children or the elderly are affected by extreme heat, it is women who are the primary caregivers.
“In the Marshalls, where women often participate in the informal economy through the production of handicrafts, for example, we know that the material used for those handicrafts are at risk as sea levels rise and salt water inundates our arable land. “Women are also central to the solutions to the climate crisis.’’ Heine said Pacific women had been some of the strongest voices for climate ambition at the international level while at home they were caretakers for solar panels, providing
communities with clean energy.
She described them as being at the heart of securing climate justice. Two regional meetings take place on Majuro Atoll this week – the 8 th Ministers for
Women meeting and the 3 rd PIF Women Leaders Meeting. Political commentators said this showed that regional leaders recognized the importance of gender equality and the meetings provided opportunities to collectively discuss how to advance their commitments to the issue at national, regional and
international levels. Heine acknowledged that the Pacific had made what she described as remarkable progress on women’s rights on many fronts in recent decades.
“But these gains are far from consistent and much more remains to be done,” she warned. Women’s health, gender-based Violence; and climate justice are the themes for discussion during the conferences and highlight some of the key challenges Pacific women continue to face.
Heine said all these issues aggravated the impacts of inequalities faced by women and girls as a result of existing social norms and structures. She said the 15 th Triennial Conference on Pacific Women and the Meeting of Pacific Ministers for Women therefore were important platforms at which to unpack these and
other barriers to gender equality. “This week, we shall take stock of progress made on our regional and global commitments on gender equality, identify barriers and challenges, and discuss opportunities to address these challenges across the region,” Heine said. “The impressive number of delegates here in Majuro, the networking opportunities over the next couple of days should enable stronger relationships and collaboration.’’
