The Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations and the World Women’s Alliance for Life and Family are currently meeting in Rome to discuss the role of women and global sustainable development. Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, told Vatican News that he considered 2015 to be a crucial year for this issue. With the U.N. Millenium Development goals expiring this year, and new Sustainable Development goals to be set for September, Turkson believes now is the time to discuss – in the context of faith – the role of women in these goals.

Conference organizer Flaminia Giovanelli, Under-Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, says women have much to contribute to the achievement of every goal on the list.

Some of those targets include ending poverty and hunger and achieving food security, ensuring healthy lives and equitable quality education, ensuring sustainable water management and sanitation, promoting inclusive economic growth and fostering innovation, making cities and towns safe and sustainable and taking action to protect the environment.

“Looking a these goals we noticed that the role of women is very important for every one of these goals,” Giovanelli stresses. “Particularly because the contribution of the woman is essential…to achieve the goals, every one of them.”

The three-day conference will include discussions on so-called gender theory, surrogate motherhood, education, inter-religious dialogue, old and new forms of slavery, poverty, violence and femicide.

Read “International conference highlights women’s contribution to sustainable development” at Vatican News.