YOUR EXCELLENCY, MRS. RACHEL RUTO, FIRST LADY OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA,
YOUR EXCELLENCES, FIRST LADIES,
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
REPRESENTATIVES FROM PARTNER ORGANISATIONS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

It is my singular honour to join you today at this vital gathering—one that speaks not only to the challenges of our time, but to the courage and ingenuity of our women and girls who face them head-on.
I begin by commending OAFLAD, under the able leadership of the First Lady of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Fatima Maada Bio for her commitment to amplifying the voices of women and girls in Africa’s development discourse, especially in the context of climate change. I also appreciate the impact of her project “Hands Off Our Girls’’ in addition to all other similar significant projects by all our First Ladies gathered here and in absentia.

Today’s event – “Building Resilience for Women and Girls in the Face of Climate Change” – could not be timelier. Today, we confront a dual crisis: climate change and conflict. Each alone is formidable. Together, they form a storm that disproportionately threatens the lives, livelihoods and futures of women and girls across our continent.

Women and girls are disproportionately affected by climate shocks, food and nutrition insecurity, displacement, water scarcity and the collapse of livelihoods and communities. From drought-stricken villages to displacement camps, from flooded coastlines to fragile urban settlements, women are not only first to feel the impact, they are often last to be heard. For many and indeed all of us, climate change is not a distant threat — it is a daily reality and we cannot take it for granted.

Excellencies,
We converge here today to frame and confront the climate–conflict–gender nexus, where the intersection of environmental degradation, fragility and inequality further deepens the vulnerability of women and girls. But this is not just a gender issue, but a development issue as well as a human rights issue.

At the African Union Commission, we recognise the critical need to place women and girls at the heart of climate resilience strategies. This is why our continental frameworks – including Agenda 2063, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and Maputo Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa – call for the protection, empowerment and full participation of women and girls in all spheres of life, including environmental governance and disaster risk reduction.

The Commission has developed the AU Accountability Framework on Eliminating Harmful Practices in fulfilment of Assembly Decision Assembly/AU/Dec.737(XXXII) on “Galvanizing Political Commitment Towards the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation in Africa’’. I am glad to say that we have already initiated implementation of this framework adopted in February 2025 by the AU Summit in Member States.

Your Excellencies,
Climate crisis exacerbates existing harmful practices — including child marriage, online sexual exploitation and female genital mutilation (FGM), which rob girls of their health, education, dignity and future. The African Union’s Campaign to End Child Marriage, Online Sexual Exploitation and the Continental Initiative to Eliminate FGM remain pivotal in our efforts, leading to the reduction of increase in the risk of these violations.

Let me also emphasise the importance of evidence-based, scalable solutions. Across the continent, we are seeing powerful models of resilience led by women and girls — from climate-smart agriculture to local peacebuilding and early warning systems. These examples show us clearly that women and girls are not victims of circumstance. They are architects of resilience. They are innovators of adaptation. They are leaders of recovery. These solutions and many more, must be highly encouraged, supported, funded and replicated.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
We must move beyond inclusion to influence. Beyond protection to power. Resilience is not merely the ability to survive; it is the right to thrive.
Let us ensure that every policy we draft, every programme we fund and every Summit we convene reflects this truth: that the future of climate justice and peacebuilding must be shaped by the lived experiences and leadership of women and girls.

In closing, permit me underscore this: building resilience for women and girls is not a charitable cause; it is a strategic imperative. It is about justice, yes — but it is also about health security and sustainable development. Let us commit to building a future where African women, girls and boys are not victims of climate change, but leaders in the solutions.

I thank you for your presence, your partnership and your purpose. May this side event ignite not only dialogue, but decisive action.
Let us build resilience, not as a reaction, but as a revolution.

I look forward to the rich discussions and our continued collaboration with OAFLAD.

I thank you.