Gender Equality in Times of Climate Change: A Matter of Life and Death
When I started my career in the world of global development some twenty odd years ago, a number of female leaders inspired me. Rachel Carson had left an epic legacy with her book ‘Silent Spring.’ Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement, had won a Nobel Peace Prize. Jane Goodall was reminding us all of nature conservation causes. And that’s just to name a few of those who were most visible.
One of my first experiences in the developing world was in Mozambique. While there, I saw the devastating impacts of floods not just at the national and community level, but especially on women and girls.
I am not thinking about Sofia Chubango, the 26 year old woman who gave birth to a baby girl, Rosita Pedro, in a tree while waiting for rescue in March of 2000. She made the news internationally.
I’m thinking about the thousands and thousands of women in Mozambique and elsewhere who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change not only because they tend to be highly exposed to the physical impacts linked to climate but also because they are less resilient from a socio-economic point of view. And the large majority of these don’t make it to the news.
http://news.trust.org/item/20160308124844-hgpxl
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture