Southern Africa: Funding for climate change needed

Southern Africa: Funding for climate change needed


Date: August 27, 2014
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Johannesburg, 27 May: Gender activists agree that the effects of climate change are more gender biased than initially thought. Women are disproportionately vulnerable to effects of climate change which could in turn exacerbate gender disparities. There are calls to ensure that more funding is injected into climate change adaptation and mitigation, and particularly community solutions.

Speaking at the SADC Protocol@Work summit that kicked off on 26 May in Johannesburg, South Africa, Jeannie Oletsitse from the SADC Council of NGOs who works as the Civic Mobilisation and Strengthening Officer said she is impressed with the general take up of projects on climate change and justice across the SADC region.

“There is a general take up of climate change and it is no longer a foreign thing. A lot of the presentations demonstrated practical initiatives that communities have adapted and are worth celebrating”, Oletsitse said.

“Post-2015 we are saying countries need to improve their funding of climate change initiatives. Most have international partners, very few have government partnerships and the rest are self-sustaining which is remarkable as well. We need to see more governments supporting the projects and taking initiative in mitigating climate change and gender issues”, she added.

She further noted that every presentation made strong efforts to link gender to climate change, with all the participants encouraging women to take up climate change mitigation for economic empowerment.

“It may not be as clear as we would like it to be, but we are proud to see that the initiatives on the ground are encouraging women’s empowerment in terms of economical sustenance and leadership capacity in handling gender and climate change”, Oletsitse emphasised.

It is imperative for all sectors to actively involve women in climate change planning and decision-making. However, the SADC Gender Protocol Barometer (2013) points out that women only account for 23% of key decision-makers in ministries concerned with climate change and sustainable development, up two percentage points from 2012 but still far from the 50% target.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report (2011) states that “because women often show more concern for the environment, support pro-environmental policies and vote for pro-environmental leaders, their greater involvement in politics and in nongovernmental organisations could result in environmental gains, with multiplier effects across all the Millennium Development Goals.”

One of the participants who made made a presentation in the climate change category is Innocent Jenje from Kadoma City Council in Zimbabwe. Jenje works as the Health Promotion Officer for the city, and he has used this position to lobby for activities that mitigate climate change effects.

“As Kadoma City Council, we are implementing a lot of activities to mitigate climate change. These include increased waste management, we have acquired new vehicles for waste collection around six wards of the city, and we are in the process of acquiring a new and more scientific dumping site. We also have Community Based Organisations (CBOs) to ease the work and actively involve the community members. Through the CBOs we civic educate community members in how to deal with climate change in ra gender sensitive manner. We appreciate that the government is committed, and they set aside a specific budget for this project,” Jenje said.

Jenje stated that post 2015, his council should increase coverage of the initiative and also introduce methods of recycling waste products to reduce pollution of the environment.

From the various presentations, participants recommended the integration of gender perspectives into mitigation and adaptation initiatives; ensure that the actions aim to empower women through asset ownership and financial independence, as well as involvement of men in the initiatives.

Thirteen participants are competing for the climate change award. There are also other categories that participants are presenting on which are: 50/50 Campaign; Women’s Rights; Emerging Entrepreneurs; Media Centres of Excellence; and Local Government COEs.

This article is part of the GL News Service special coverage of the SADC Gender Protocol Summit underway in South Africa, offering fresh views on everyday news.


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