Activists: Gender-sensitive land reforms key to women's climate resilience
Locals from the Sabaki River Conservation and Development organization in Malindi, plant mangrove seedlings on the shores of the river early this year. For years, locals relied on mangrove for firewood, water, seafood, farming land, and plants for traditional medicine. But the unchecked exploitation inflicted damage on the mangroves, mudflats, freshwater pools and sandy dunes at the mouth of Kenya's second-longest river.
What you need to know:
- Climate activists have called on government leaders attending COP 27 in Egypt to commit to gender-sensitive land reforms to enable women build resilience against climate shocks.
- They also called for investments in gender-just climate solutions.
A group of African climate activists have called on government leaders attending climate change talks in Egypt to commit to gender-sensitive land reforms to enable women build resilience against climate shocks.
In a statement, the activists from Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, Uganda and South Africa, said without equitable access and control of land, women will continue to be adversely affected by drought.
Through their work under African Women's Development and Communication Network (Femnet), African Activists for Climate Justice, Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, Oxfam, and Natural Justice, the activists said they have witnessed the suffering of women hard hit by climate change.
Paris agreement
“At COP27, parties agreed to increase the participation of women in all UNFCCC processes and to be included in delegations and in bodies constituted under the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement,” said Yolanda Mulhuini, an activist from Mozambique, in the media statement.
“But unfortunately, up to now, in the climate decision-making process, women’s voices are not yet equally represented.”
They called on the leaders who have converged in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt for the November 6-18 COP27 talks, to endorse unconditional and debt-free gender-responsive climate financing.
“Foster meaningful and equitable representation of women and girls in all negotiations and decision-making, including frontline community women leaders,” they appealed.
They also called for investments in gender-just climate solutions.
Global scale
“Promote local feminist climate movements that are anti-capitalist, decolonial, and collectivized,” they said.
President William Ruto in his capacity as chair of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change for COP27, delivered a speech to the delegates Monday saying “humanity is confronting unprecedented devastation on a global scale,” due to climate change.
He said Kenya is experiencing the worst drought in 40 years with 4.3 million affected.
This year alone, 2.5 million livestock have died in the country causing economic losses of more than $1.5 billion, he said.
