Lack of justice affects women and children the most: Amina Erdowan

Addressing an international gathering in Sierra Leone via a video message, Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan warned that millions of women and children deprived of basic human rights serve as a bitter reminder of the growing injustice gap in the world.
Emine Erdogan praised Sierra Leone's First Lady Fatima Maada Bio's 'strong leadership' in representing women and children in her message on the theme of "women and girls' resilience against climate change and conflicts".
She also commended Bio's role as the first chairperson of the African Women for Development organization and as the founder of the 'Hands Off Our Girls' initiative, which is now marking its seventh anniversary.
The First Lady expressed her gratitude for collaborating with Bio as she chairs the UN Zero Waste Advisory Board, and praised Bio's 'outstanding efforts' in addressing global common challenges.
Highlighting this year's theme - strengthening the resilience of women and girls in the face of climate change and conflict - she said it draws attention to one of the most pressing issues of our time.
She said, "Climate change is one of the most significant global challenges of our time, affecting countries regardless of their development level. The increasing severity of natural disasters, famine, desertification, and rising sea levels are severely impacting societies."
She further stated that over 120 conflicts worldwide are undermining human dignity and 'pushing it to a milestone', with women and children bearing the heaviest burden. "In 2024 alone, 676 million women and children were forced to live amidst conflicts," and also noted that the number of women who lost their lives in wars over the past two years has doubled compared to previous years.
Erdogan warned that nearly 158 million women are at risk of being pushed into extreme poverty as a result of the climate crisis by 2050. She said, "The existence of millions of women and children struggling to survive without basic rights such as the right to life, food security, access to clean water, and education is a fundamental reason for the failures in the world's justice record." She emphasized that women should be seen as 'central players' in building a prosperous and just world. "They should not be seen as waiting for aid in humanitarian crises but as active participants in the solution." Regarding activities on the topic, she said that increased representation of women in parliaments increases the likelihood of ratifying international environmental agreements, while the involvement of women in mediation and peacemaking can increase the chances of ending violence by up to 24 percent. She further stated that where women have more social and political standing, carbon emissions are also seen to be 12 percent lower. Emine Erdogan noted that women make up half of the agricultural workforce and could help reduce global hunger by nearly 17 percent if they had equal access to resources. She said these examples highlight an important truth: "Enhancing the resilience of women and children against global crises is only possible through women's leadership."
She expressed hope that this appeal from Africa will inspire global solidarity that can change the lives of women and children around the world. On the occasion of the year's end, she also extended "wishes for a new year in which humanity achieves sustainable peace and builds a sustainable future together".