Mozambique: Cyclone Giovanni ravages Mozambique

Alliance calls for an addendum on gender and climate change

Cyclone Giovanna has so far killed 23 in Madagascar according to media reports before taking aim at Mozambique. Some 65 people were injured and about 11,000 people left homeless after Cyclone Giovanna ravaged the country’s eastern seaboard.

The cyclone comes at a time when the Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance is currently spearheading a campaign for the SADC leaders to add an addendum on Gender and Climate Change to the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development. TheSADC Gender Protocol is a landmark achievement for our region. But it is a living document that should be constantly reviewed and enriched, reads the Alliance’s call.

The region is prone to cyclones and tropical storms, especially in the rainy season from February to May. Already there have been two other named storms to track through the channel: Tropical Storm Dando and Cyclone Funso.

A comprehensive addendum on gender and climate change would go a long way in developing a proactive policy and legal framework to inform adaptation and mitigation efforts. This would also enhance the value of this instrument to the women of Southern Africa, most of who live in the rural areas and are confronted by periods of drought, too much rainwater and other climate change impacts. This has a bearing on how they spend their day addressing those challenges.

The Alliance has launched a petition calling on SADC States to develop the Addendum as a matter of urgency and is collecting signatures around the region.

Compiled by Lucia Makamure