In a world where a lot of changes are being experienced naturally, technologically, economically, biologically there is a certain aspect of life that has remained stagnant or rather has been dawdling to change. The socio-cultural dynamics of the world especially in the poor, African and Asian and Small Island Developing State communities have remained such that women are still regarded as vulnerable and incapacitated.
Gender equality or should I say gender equity has been a talk for decades and different programs have been employed in and across the world. It remains one of the most pervasive forms of discrimination in the world in all developmental settings, despite it being a human right. The United Nations published the 15 year Millennium Development goals with goal number 3 on “promoting gender equality and women empowerment’. Currently, it is operating under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set for 2030, with SDG 5 on Gender Equality. Developmental organizations have come on board with different strategies, programmes and projects over the years to ensure gender equality. Slight changes have been noted where in a few cases women have been made vice presidents of countries and managing directors of companies, but the world is not there yet. The change has not been significant as most women are still regarded as the world’s poor and this is now being compounded by the effects of climate variability and climate change. Most women dependent on natural resources for survival and livelihood, which are threatened by climate change.
According to the 2019 Global Index no country has achieved gender equality yet and the world is still furthest from achieving this SDG with 40% of women and girls living in counties where efforts to achieve gender equality are not being felt the slightest. This is however not the same for climate change. Effects of climate change are being felt in every part of the world and they are increasingly causing turmoil and loss each year, getting in the way of sustainability, building resilience and adaptive capacity and thus increasing vulnerability especially to women and girls. Women have less access to developed and technologically sound career opportunities and means of survival as well as decision making structures. Instead they rely mostly on small scale agriculture and gardening, selling of firewood, traditional medicine making projects that are climate change sensitive and are most likely to be affected by harsh weather conditions, veld fires, water shortages, drought and attacks from invasive species.
Women especially in the African culture are said to be the ones that stay home and take care of the children and other family dependents. In case of climate change related disasters, due to limited mobility and knowledge, they are incapacitated to flee to disaster free areas, they cannot leave home to go and find alternative means to support the family instead all that needs to be done should be done within the community vicinity. Women suffer travelling long distances to fetch water and firewood, to look for food and in the end suffer from health ailments that could in the end claim their lives.
In Mozambique, Cyclone Eloise which occurred in January 2021 completely destroyed 1000 homes and damaged close to 3000 homes. It destroyed 18 700 hectares of maize and rice farmland. The inhabitants lost their homes and crops from which their food and money where going to come from. The most affected gender population is women as most men can flee to the cities to find greener pastures but the women will have to remain with the children and face the after math.
According to experts, effective mitigation and adaptation to climate change acknowledges that women and men experience impacts differently depending on how they live and sustain their livelihoods. It also considers the different roles they play in their families and communities and thrives to award both gender equal opportunities at survival and management. Women have unique developmental and management skills. They have a wealth of knowledge and drive that when given a chance are able to contribute greatly to the development of the world and in the fight against phenomenon such as climate variability and climate change. Women have been seen to be pro-environmentalist who have in the past made significant effective strides in climate adaptation and mitigation projects. During Cyclone Eloise which hit Mozambique in January 2021, a women-led evacuation group trained by Action Aid helped more than 600 families from Buzi and Nhamatanda districts evacuate to safe areas.
In the Niger Delta after the region had experienced ecosystem disruptive environmental abuses through oil spillages, gas flaring, a group of Nigerian women mobilized themselves and protected against the companies that were posing these environmental incidents. These protests led to a ruling by the courts to end the gas flaring practice as it violated the constitutional rights of citizens in Nigeria. Women are agents of change and thus should be acknowledged and given the platform to take a stand and have a voice in the fight against climate change.
Failure to address vulnerability of women to climate change impedes sustainable development. It directly affects 10 of the 17 SDGs. It is important to ensure effective implementation of programmes and projects. The UNDP launched a 2018-2021 Gender Equality Strategy which outlines 4 major issues to address. These include:
- Structural barriers to women’s economic empowerment
- Preventing and responding to Gender Based Violence (GBV)
- Promoting women’s participation in all forms of decision making
- Strengthening gender responsive strategies in crisis prevention preparedness and recovery including climate change
Efforts such as these are recognized as much is being done to ensure gender equity and gender quality which also allows the building of adaptive capacity of women to climate change.
