President joins Pacific women leaders for gathering in Tuvalu

Uniting Church President Rev Charissa Suli is in Tuvalu this week, joining women leaders from across the Pacific for a regional gathering exploring the connections between faith, gender and climate justice.

Hosted by the Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu (EKT) Church in Funafuti, the Tuākoi Lei – Faith, Gender and Climate Regional Convening has brought together women from Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) member churches for reflection, storytelling and theological engagement.

The gathering comes at a crucial time for the Pacific, where communities are already experiencing the impacts of a changing climate.

Tuvalu, one of the world’s smallest nations, is particularly vulnerable to these impacts. In Funafuti, participants have heard from local women about the challenges facing their communities, including water insecurity, coastal change, pressure on food supplies and the growing risk of displacement.

Their stories have grounded the gathering in the lived realities of communities on the frontline of the climate crisis.

Australian High Commissioner to Tuvalu David Chalton reminded participants that the gathering was an opportunity for talanoa – to listen, engage and work together to protect “our survival, cultures, dignity, and future”.

The gathering has also highlighted the gendered dimensions of climate change. Tuvalu’s Acting Secretary for Home Affairs, Climate Change and Environment, the Hon Walter Pulogo, recognised the leadership of Pacific women in preserving traditional knowledge, protecting natural resources, caring for families and strengthening communities.

At the same time, Mr Pulogo noted that women remain underrepresented in many national, regional and global decision-making spaces.

These realities have prompted deeper reflection on how the experiences of Pacific communities can shape the Church’s theology, mission and ministry.

Women from across the Pacific have shared experiences of climate change, human security, gender justice and community resilience, alongside stories from Pacific churches about how faith is being lived out amid these challenges.

Through theological reflection on ecological guardianship, participants have explored the meaning of Tuākoi Lei – a call to be a good and loving neighbour.

For Pacific churches, this offers a powerful expression of climate justice founded in faith and relationship: caring for our neighbours, caring for our communities and caring for our shared future.

The gathering’s outcomes will help shape PCC and church advocacy at regional and international levels, including in the lead-up to Pre-COP31 discussions in Fiji and Tuvalu.

The conversations also come as Tuvalu prepares to co-host the Second International Conference on the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels in 2027, providing another opportunity for Pacific voices to contribute to global climate discussions.

As the gathering concludes, Tuākoi Lei offers a reminder that climate justice cannot be separated from the dignity, security and future of communities whose lives are already being transformed by a changing climate.

For the women gathered in Tuvalu, listening to these stories is also an invitation to act as good neighbours – caring for one another, protecting creation and bringing the voices of Pacific communities into the wider life and witness of the Church.