A new multi-faith, women-led network of faith leaders to combat climate change was launched on 24 October in Frascati, Italy. The Women, Faith and Climate Network is unique because it engages women-led climate action networks from diverse geographies and faiths. The aim of the network is to leverage the influence and power of women of faith to speed up the process of achieving planetary-wide climate goals.
Fifty women leaders from 8 major faiths and 15 countries convened in Italy to share their experiences and to launch this new network. The combined reach and influence of women of faith networks is enormous. Participants estimated that their networks reach over 73 million people, including groups like:
Mothers’ Union, with over 4 million members in 83 countries
The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation USA and its 6 million women
Brahma Kumaris with 600,000 women members and
UISG with its 600,000 Catholic sisters across the globe.
Diversity, action and collaboration
The initiative is unique in its diversity, and its focus on practical action and collaboration. It aims to increase the visibility of the vast ongoing women led practical climate action and grassroots and national level, scale up best practices, foster radical collaboration among diverse women of faith networks, and mobilise women of faith in support of mass mobilisations of women for climate action.
Notable participants included Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and co-founder of Project Dandelion, a women led global campaign for climate justice, and youth climate activist Ridhima Pandey.
The group was granted an audience with His Holiness Pope Francis on Wednesday, 23 October.
'You are here to draw on your power. 5.8 million people identify with faith – that’s 80% of the world’s population. Faith can be the foundation of transformative change to tackle our climate and nature crisis…Where women lead, action follows' - Mary Robinson
The event was jointly convened by Wilton Park an executive agency of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the British Embassy to the Holy See, the Irish Embassy to the Holy See, Islamic Relief Worldwide, and the International Union of Superiors General, with support from UNEP Faith for Earth and Project Dandelion, and facilitated by Alison Hilliard, Senior Programme Director at Wilton Park.
The short video below features Mary Robinson and other women leaders speaking about why this new network is so important.
Dandelions of Faith
Mary Robinson invited the Women Faith and Climate group to join with Project Dandelion - her women led global climate justice campaign, as 'Dandelions of Faith'.
The next steps for the Women, Faith and Climate Network:
Increase visibility of women led climate action though storytelling, mapping and communications
Expand partnerships and collaborations on greening houses of worship, renewable energy and tree planting
Combine forces for joint advocacy at key climate related events in 2025, including COP 30
Establish a coordinating mechanism for the Network to support connection , exchange and collaboration among members
An announcement about the launch was made at the Faith Pavilion Session 'Solutions for Restoration, Recovery, and Resilience at the Biodiversity, Climate, and Food Systems Nexus: An Interactive Solutions Dialogue' on 20 November at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
For more information about the Women, Faith and Climate Network please contact: Jean Duff WhatsApp +353 87 719 8998; jeanduff@pfaithdev.org.
How the Faith Plans framework can help you
The Faith Plans Seven Key Areas framework begins with Key Area One: Assets. This includes information and guidelines to help faith organisations to explore how to manage natural assets such as land, forests and woodland, and nature in line with their values. Find out more at https://www.faithplans.org/land-forests-and-nature
If you would like more information about the Faith Plans framework or any of the Seven Key Areas, please contact us. We would love to hear from you.