On the afternoon of July 28, 2025, Khuon Sudary, president of Cambodia’s National Assembly, offered recommendations to reduce the impacts of climate change on women and girls at the 15th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament in Switzerland. She spoke during the second session, titled “Emerging challenges to inclusive and lasting peace and the way forward.” Women speakers and delegates from various countries attended the summit.
The National Assembly president’s recommendations during the session included the following:
1. Incorporate gender-responsive policies.
2. Strengthen women’s leadership in natural resource governance and sustainable development. This requires the full support of all stakeholders.
3. Promote international cooperation and partnerships among stakeholders to address climate change and advance sustainable and inclusive development.
The National Assembly president stressed that climate change poses a serious threat to global peace and security and has a profound impact on human security, particularly on people’s livelihoods. It affects different groups in different ways depending on their resilience and ability to adapt. Women and girls face disproportionately greater risks and burdens than men.
Khuon Sudary stressed that financial instability, insecurity around reproductive health, health vulnerabilities and gender-based violence compound the climate risks women face, especially during climate-related crises.
The 2024 gender report estimated that, under the worst-case climate scenario, climate change could push up to an additional 158 million women and girls worldwide into extreme poverty by 2050, using the international poverty line of US$2.15 a day. Cambodia is no exception. Khuon Sudary said Cambodia was highly vulnerable to climate change.
She cited Cambodia’s rankings of 144th out of 185 countries for vulnerability and 159th for readiness to deal with climate change.
In rural Cambodia, women farmers are severely affected by floods and droughts. They generally have limited access to credit or land titles.
Access to credit or land titles is essential to rebuilding livelihoods and adapting to climate change.
The National Assembly president said women in Cambodia and around the world are facing the climate crisis directly and are strengthening their ability to cope and adapt. She said women and children should have opportunities to play a major role in advancing initiatives to address climate change.
To participate fully in the response to climate change, women and children need access to resources, education and healthcare, as well as the power to make decisions.
By: KPS99TV
