Senegalese Women Demand Climate Justice Before COP29
In anticipation of the United Nations COP29 Summit in Azerbaijan, women in Senegal marched through the streets of Dakar on Saturday to demand climate justice. Around 50 climate activists participated, advocating for the protection of the country’s resources and a transition to a decarbonized future.
Former tour guide Cheikh Niang Faye stated, “We have been marching for four years, and nothing’s changed.” She criticized wealthy nations for spending billions on conferences while failing to compensate those affected by climate change, particularly in developing countries that have contributed to greenhouse gas emissions.
Faye noted the detrimental effects of global warming, especially on women in rural areas. This year, Senegal faced record-breaking floods that impacted tens of thousands of people and damaged over 1,000 hectares of crops.
Activists argue that countries responsible for emissions owe a debt to Africa for the suffering caused by climate change. Khady Faye, an activist from the Saloum Delta—a region hit hard by coastal erosion—urged respect for local communities, saying, “We want climate justice in the Saloum Delta.”
The march’s main organizer, Khady Camara, called on nations to uphold the Paris Agreement. “It’s time for polluting countries to agree to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, as this is the root of Africa’s suffering,” she asserted.
