Posted on March, 9, 2022 at 07:48 am
Women should be at the centre of climate change conversations as they have an influential role to play against the vice if they are harnessed as change agents.
At the same time, the government and political parties have been urged to recognize women by ensuring that they acquire elective positions ahead of the next August General election.
Nakuru County Director for Environment and Climate Change Grace Karanja said women including those from indigenous communities are the custodians of the world’s ecosystems because of their deep ties with Mother Nature and the ecosystems they inhabit.
Ms Karanja noted that women’s role in food production, resource management and education of children place them at a very central point in mitigating climatic change adding If they are taught good environment-friendly practices, then they can play a major role in influencing others to adopt them.
While speaking during celebrations to mark this year’s International Women’s Day at Nyayo Gardens in Nakuru, the director called for an increased shift to encourage women to participate actively in climate issues, including at the policy and institutional levels in both public and private sectors.
“Women have been the custodians of the environment in traditional societies across the globe. In Africa, they have been the providers of food, stewards of seed banks and decision-makers on energy use at the household level.
They have practised what we currently refer to as sustainable agriculture and circular economy from ancient times, additionally, they have known the medicinal properties of everyday plants and herbs. All this inter-generational knowledge is disappearing as women are left out of the climate conversation,” she pointed out
County Executive Committee Member for Youth, Gender, Culture, Sports and Social Services Sylvia Achieng Onyango observed that globally, women account for 49 per cent of the global population and remain at the forefront as frontline stewards in safeguarding Mother Nature.
She nevertheless expressed concern that women were more vulnerable to devastating impacts of climate change including food insecurity, water scarcity, deadly diseases like malaria and malnutrition.
Ms Onyango cited the rising water levels in Kenyan Baringo, deadly floods in Europe and severe droughts in the US as environmental crises that have exposed women to gender-based violence, climate refugees, conflicts leading to loss of lives and livelihoods.
The CEC added, “while women are disproportionately affected by climate change’s agents of destruction and distraction, they must not remain victims, but be dependable for positive change in the manner the crisis is addressed.”
County Director for Gender Ms Selina Nkatha observed that women can only actively participate in climate change mitigation if they have a say in how the land they have access to is used or if they own it.
She stated that despite the fact that the ratio of women to men is 1:1, only 5 per cent of land title deeds in Kenya is held by women, “jointly with men”; that “only 1 per cent of land titles are held by women alone”; yet “about 32 per cent of households are headed by women.
“Several studies have concluded that women can play an active role in climatic change mitigation. But they have to be empowered in having a say on how the same is managed.”
During the celebrations, Executive Director to Young African Women Initiative (YAWI) Fidelis Karanja called on the State to create an enabling environment for women eyeing elective posts.
She said it was time for Kenyan society to recognize the significant roles women play in this country.
Karanja affirmed that women have an equal opportunity like their male counterparts hence they should also vie for elective posts.
“We encourage as many women as possible to contest for elective posts because we have seen women have the capability to lead like anybody else in this country. Let women compete with men,” added YAWI Executive Director.
YAWI she vowed will not get tired of advocating for women to get equal opportunities to men in the contest for political seats.
“Some men were saying empowering women in politics makes the latter grow horns but things have changed. Women too must lead,” Karanja asserted.
Rongai parliamentary aspirant Gladys Kamuren told political parties not to forget women in their nominations in legislative houses.
She gave example with Tanzania which is headed by a female president, Samia Suluhu.
“Women are great leaders but many people are not aware because they have not been given enough opportunities,” she added.
Kamuren called on parents whose teenage daughters had gotten early pregnancies to allow them to resume their education
Source: KBC