June Zeitlin, Executive Director of Women’s Environment and Development Organization, submitted this guest entry. As the climate crisis deepens, we can’t afford to leave any voices out of the solution. Read on for an exploration of the pivotal role women play in preventing and coping with climate change.
The more we experience the effects of climate change, the clearer it becomes that everyone on the planet has a huge stake in what we decide to do now. That is why it is appalling that women are still being overlooked as key to the solution.
When storms and mudslides devastate a neighborhood, women shoulder most of the cleanup, stay home from work or school the most and take care of the injured. When drought hits the developing world, it is women whose crops and animals suffer most, as they produce most of the food in Africa and Asia. Women are the ones who risk assault to go further and further in search of water and firewood.
Women, in short, are the most affected by the disruptions of climate change. But women also have the most experience in coping. Women drive less, consume less and have smaller carbon footprints than men. Women’s initiatives are creating green jobs and slowing environmental damage worldwide. Yet women are generally left out of policy deliberations on what to do about global warming.
It is time for this to change. Next year’s new Congress will consider legislation to mandate new greenhouse gas emission standards and invest in measures to grow a greener U.S. economy. Election season offers politicians the chance to stand out from their opponents by recognizing women’s centrality on this issue and pledging to involve them in its solution. So far, it isn’t happening.
Women produce 65 percent of all the food in Asia and 75 percent of it in sub-Saharan Africa. Erratic weather means they must spend more time farming and gathering food, which leaves less time for education, outside work, personal and family life. The result: ill health, hunger, homelessness, unemployment, forced migration and conflict. But in Kenya, for example, Wangari Maathai started the Greenbelt Movement, urging women to be leaders in planting trees to prevent erosion and stand up for democracy. For this she won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize.
In Suriname, no one listened when women pointed out that a local river’s annual floods were getting worse and that perhaps the village should relocate to higher ground. It was wiped out the following year. When drought hit Micronesia, women were digging wells and creating new water sources long before the government decided what it could do. When Hurricane Mitch killed thousands in Central America in 1998, no one died in the Honduran town of La Masica because women there participated equally with men in all relief operations, went on rescue missions, rehabilitated local infrastructure, distributed food and took over the task, from men, of monitoring the early-warning system for disasters.
Women are a majority of the world’s poor, and the poor by definition live in substandard housing in marginal areas prone to drought, floods or resource shortages. Up to 70 percent of those killed in the 2004 Asian tsunami were women. In Bangladesh, the 1991 cyclone and flood killed 71 of every 1,000 women, compared to 15 of every 1,000 men. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, women forced into overcrowded housing suffered high rates of sexual abuse, while lack of child care facilities has cost many their jobs and health insurance. Contemplating the slow government response, Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton sponsored a resolution at the 2007 national lieutenant governors’ conference calling on officials to commit to action in their states against climate change.
Political candidates should take note that women are both those most affected by climate change worldwide and leaders in dealing with it. At the moment, the debate focuses on technical and economic issues. True, those are crucial: an effective policy should require emission cuts of 25 to 40 percent by 2020, suspend new coal plants and end U.S. fossil fuel dependence through incentives for energy efficiency and renewable resource production.
It should also require research on gender-specific patterns of resource use, vulnerability and coping mechanisms. It should call for new data collection about every proposal’s effects on women, and mandate involvement by women and gender experts in preparing U.S. policy and contributions to international discussions. It should recognize that success of the technical fixes will depend on the ways that women use natural and economic resources and the way they react to policy initiatives.
The planet’s future is at stake in the global warming debate, no question about it. Women are weighing in with reports and suggestions from the field where they know the terrain. It’s time for their voices to be heard and heeded.
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June Zeitlin is the executive director of the Women’s Environment & Development Organization (WEDO). Founded in 1991, WEDO is an international organization that advocates for women’s equality in global policy.
18 Comments
Dear Green Colour Jobs,
It is true the impact of Global warming and climate change affect women mostly.
Although the developing countries contribute less percentage to the green house gas, the effects of climate change is seriously realized in drastic droughts and floods that find ever available women.
The 21st century has included drastic climate change food insecurity,and high market prices that include VAT for the rich and poor and social economic status.
Free education that is not really free has resulted to school frustration. This month over 300 schools have been involved in violent demonstrations. One hundred and fifty six have been torched. The repair responsibilities have been shouldered to parents. It is the women who will demonstrate the zeal.
The 2008 climate change, economic,social, and political crisis have included mass violent demonstrations.
During the January-February violence, in the Nairobi outskirts,400 women were raped. The unrecorded cases included group sexual attacks to one woman.
In one school, nineteen girls were raped and other fifteen died during the attack.Authority remark was that the rapists did not mean to kill!
Women suffer consequences of Relief Food Aid after poor storage and food contamination.
It is important to promote training programs for production, and poverty eradication solutions.
Green-Jobs can spare women some energy for their broad commitments.
This may include time effective,human power saving,cost effective, and energy saving projects.
Grace Mulei.
Kenya
Dear Green Jobs,
Kenya has been drastically affected by the 21st Century changes. The implantations of MDgs, in this climate change era, are far to be realized.
Women can do better in the fore front if G1, is to be realized within the set time line structure.
Grace.
Kenya.
Dear Green Jobs,
Edited)
Kenya has been drastically affected by the 21st Century changes. The implimentation of MDgs, in this climate change era, are far to be realized.
Women can do better in the fore front if G1, is to be realized within the set time line structure.
Grace.
Kenya.
this is a message to the blog moderator, I feel that you should post a story about this great video. Its a hip hop song and video about the Green Party, made by an independent rap group from the bay area. Its pretty good, well made, positive, uplifting, and catchy. I know that this is “Obama’s time” but people should have an option and to that they need to be informed. The video talks about a black woman and puerto rican woman running.
check out the link,
http://www.youtube.com/someofallparts
Thank you June for your good work and your article! I have met many women in my field that are making a difference and as a founder of an energy efficiency company I look forward to meeting many more brilliant women in our collective struggle to heal the planet and society.
Tammy
Here is a solution to prevent global warming.
Check it out:
http://www.jjcomics.com/how_to_stop_global_warming_cartoon_comic.htm
Women can do better in the fore front if G1, is to be realized within the set time line structure.
To June Zeitlin,
Thank you for your insight regarding women’s involvement in shaping and participating in the ‘greening’ of the planet.
My name is Kelly Bado. I currently study sustainable energy at a local community college that has a pilot program for training those interested in ‘green’ jobs. In Januaray 2009 I begin an internship with the green coach at the regional employment board. In this internship I support her groundwork in meeting the more vulnerable unemployed’s interests in obtaining training and jobs in the sustainable energy field.
My question is in regards to your statement that the “success of the technical fixes depends on the way women use natural resources and way they react to policy initiatives”. Would you detail how this is true? I ask because I would like to integrate the information into our workshops and training programs.
Thank you for the commitment to supporting life on the planet through inclusion of women.
warmly, kelly
Stay tuned for info about the next YES Summit in 2010 bringing together 2000 young leaders from around the globe to address the current challanges and to showcase working solutions and announce and fund 2000 green jobs, training and careers for the future entreprenuers and the stewarts of the earth and society.
Ya especially the most discriminated the in Oakland the African American LGBT of color community that is the original most prominent in Oakland
Ya especially the most discriminated in Oakland, the African American LGBT of color community that is the original most prominent in Oakland
This is a very excellent project and also wmones’ perspective is brought to the front on the issue of Climate Change.
Congratulations!
Helen Ojario
North America
Representative
Carmelite NGO at the UN
You should take a look at this. These guys seem to have found a
Global Warming Solutions
Wow what a slanted web site-to the left
the effect of Global Warming these days is even worst. i think every government should pass stricter laws on Carbon Emissions. we should also concentrate more on renewable energy sources and avoid fossil fuels.
- We should be more concerned about Global Warming and Climate Change because Typhoons are getting much stronger and there are greater incidence of Flooding. take for example the recent Typhoon Ketsana which devastated some countries in South East Asia.
Global warming is becoming such an obvious problem that someone somewhere other than the US President needs to step up to help drive a massive campaign which aims to reduce Global Warming.
Global Warming and Climate Change is the biggest environmental issue that we face these days. the long term effects of these environmental changes to a nations economy is quite damaging. there would be a shortage in food supply as well as on water supply too.