How men and women farmers are differently affected

The effect of climate change “on gender equality and women´s empowerment could be profound, and could in many areas of the world diminish considerably the progress we have made so far in securing gender equality,” said Iceland’s Minister of the Environment, Ms Thorunn Sveinbjarnardóttir, at an FAO event marking International Women’s Day.

Vulnerable areas and the poor will be particularly hit by climate change, the Minister said. Small and poor indigenous communities are faced with changes affecting their livelihood and social structure. Temperature changes in the oceans could affect the fish stocks many coastal communities depend on for their survival, she said.

In vulnerable areas in Africa, Asia and Latin America climate change could affect the existence of millions, especially in rural agricultural and coastal areas. Such prospects are especially alarming since agriculture is now increasingly recognised as a crucial element in addressing poverty and food security. All changes in agricultural production have considerable effect on the situation of women, given their crucial role in food production in many areas.

Role of agriculture

While noting that the food and agriculture sector’s contribution to climate change was over 30 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions, it is vital to understand how to ensure food security when temperatures and sea level are rising, extreme events becoming more frequent and seasonal trends are difficult to predict, observed FAO Deputy Director-General Mr James Butler.

“In order to be truly prepared for the impacts of climate change on food security, we must ask ourselves who are the most vulnerable and how they can be involved in addressing this global issue, noting that men and women are differently vulnerable and how each can contribute to addressing climate change,” he said.

Adaptation is the key

In the climate change debate, adaptation is increasingly being seen as a key policy priority. Adaptation at an accelerated and more targeted pace is seen as critical for the secure development of vulnerable populations, like the estimated 1.4 billion rural people who depend on small-scale farming in developing countries. These men and women will be differently vulnerable to climate change impacts due to pre-existing inequalities. For example, rural women tend to have less financial, physical and human resources than men, so they will have fewer options for responding to the effects of climate change. Also, poor women tend to rely more than men on natural resources, so when these are directly hit by climate change, women’s livelihoods will also be affected. Adaptation strategies that do not take into account the differences between men’s and women’s vulnerabilities and resources are less likely to succeed.

.. and mitigation

Mitigation is another building block of climate change response. “Poor rural people can play a major role in mitigating climate change through the sustainable management of land, forests and other natural resources,” said IFAD Assistant President Jessie Rose Mabutas. And climate change mitigation policies can represent a historic opportunity to acknowledge and remunerate them for providing environmental services that benefit us all.

International agricultural commodity prices are rising because of a combination of factors: an increased demand for food due to rapid growth in emerging countries like India and China; unprecedented and rapid migration from rural to urban areas; recent poor harvests in some countries that may be a result of climate change; and the conversion of land use from food crops to biofuel crops. “This will have enormous consequences for poor rural people, particularly for women who often are responsible for providing food for the family,” said Ms Mabutas.

As part of the activities marking the international women’s day celebration, Gamcotrap joined the rest of the world in the commemoration together with the official launch of its web site at the Paradise Suites Hotel last Saturday. The theme for this year’s celebration was “The struggle for Gender Equality continues…”

It is a very important day that should not only be observed by Gender activists or institutions that deals with women’s and girls issues only but the whole globe. It’s not an issue that concerns only one sex but it’s for both as far as humanity is concerned. Hence with these two sexes one cannot go in the absence of the other because they are partners. So, I don’t think there can be any thing said like it’s a women issue so men should not participate, no! That should not be the case because neither of the sexes is born in the absence of the other, so this is a clear manifestation that we should stand for each other and fight for rights and the betterment of each other. In many African countries women are seen as only mothers who bear children and take care of them, some are being marginalised, discriminated against, denied inheritance, land owner ships, decision making and even denied education which we all know is a right for them. All these things are done to them just in the name of tradition, which we may not have known but can even affect our religion as worshipers. Why should such things happen to them? Are women not human beings? Are they not partners to the male counter parts?

Are they not mothers, sisters and wives to men? If this is so I don’t think there should be any query when the Women’s right issue is raised because women’s right are human rights as no nation can have a real human right without women being given their rights. This week I bring you some people’s opinions about the theme for this year read below:

Mam Sira Jobe Kurang registrar Gambia Training and Multimedia Institute/executive member Gamcotrap: I am very much impressed with the day. I have the feeling that we are going forward. Gamcotrap has gone through a big struggle to reach where we are today. I am sure a day will come that we will be recognised not only by The Gambia but the whole world. I am happy that the web site is launched and that will show the people outside The Gambia what Gamcotrap is achieving and will create a lot of awareness. Gamcotrap normally say things directly. These things sometimes are taboos which will break for our children so that they will not fall the wrong trap. Finally I would like to advise every parent to accept the banning Female Genital Mutilation, because its dangerous.

Mrs. Tida Jaiteh teacher Bakau Upper Basic School: I would call the day excellent. This is a struggle that we have been advocating for the few past years as far as girl children are concerned. All these practices we discussed are not a new thing so we keep on advocating and making sure we eradicate FGM completely in our society. We should sensitise the children as they are the future leaders if not there cannot be a brighter future for women tomorrow, the ice have to be break.

Sheihk Omar Fye co ordinator and head of Gender and Development Unit MDI: My main opinion is the theme. Its timely by looking at the reality on the ground. We have the presence of a gender gap that prevails in our communities. When it comes to the time of decision making it balanced in terms of men and women in top management positions. This has lead to more male dominants, so the theme to my own opinion is geared towards closing the gender gap. I would also like to hail the efforts of the government of The Gambia and all stake holders for the drive towards gender parity. I would also want to emphasize that there is need for gender equity in order to avail both male and female equal opportunities in a bid to bring about effective national development.

Yadicon Eribo Njie coordinator Fawegam: It indeed continues. Though women today are lucky enough to see the progress of the work done by the women that were here before us, we the younger women have found the road paved by the struggle of the older women. We should not relax because there is a lot of work still to be done. Today we still see women being discriminated against, just because they are women, no matter what your background is you should come together support each other and make sure that every woman realizes her highest potential.

Absatou Saidykhan Fawegam: In The Gambia we cannot have gender equality as of now, because it was not there now. What we are asking is a fair share of whatever job opportunities, scholarships and a lot more that we have been lacking. These are issues like family inheritance, loans from bank and ownership. If your husband has land you are not given land at Social Security Housing and Finance Corporation. We are not on the same level, until all that is available we can’t talk about gender equality but then the struggle will continue.

The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices (IAC), comprising various national committees throughout 28 African countries, and 16 countries outside of the African continent, has  observes on February 6, 2006 as the 5th anniversary of the international Day on Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). This year’s theme is  “Partnering with the media to reach Zero Tolerance to FGM.”

Taking from that perspective, the slogan “Zero Tolerance to FGM’’ means that FGM should not be tolerated for any reason, at any time, place or anybody. FGM has been recognised as violence against women and girls and coupled with other medical, social, psycho-sexual and economic consequences, the practice should not be allowed to continue under the guise of traditional or religion.

According to the dispatch IAC, February 6 was adopted as a day to draw attention worldwide to the menace of FGM culminated from a joint meeting IAC and held at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Addis Ababa, from February 4 to 6, 2003.

Consequently, the United Nations Sub-committee on human Rights not only recognised February 6 but has also been marking the Day in Geneva in collaboration with IAC Geneva office under the leadership of Mrs. Berhane Ras-Work, the IAC executive Director. Also celebrating February 6, 2008, is the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva. It would hold a panel discussion and Press Conference on “How to end the practice of FGM”.

IAC and its partners the UN, Governments, International and local NGOs among others agreed to commemorate February 6 as a day to strategise, reflect, deliberate on FGM and to re-new commitment to end this human rights violation in the name of tradition. All action towards ending FGM is in accordance with article 5 (Elimination of Harmful Traditional Practices (HIPs) in the protocol to the African Charter on Human and peoples’ Rights of Women in Africa.

The World Health Organisation estimates that about 120 million African women and girls have been subjected to FGM. African immigrants have taken the practice to Europe, America and Asia thus making FGM a global concern. It is the goal of IAC and other stakeholders that the millions of at-risk cases to FGM every year are prevented and that the traditional practice would be eliminated by 2015 in line with the Millennium Development Goals:-

(3) Promote Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

(4) Reduce child mortality

(5) Improve maternal health

The Inter-African Committee  believes that to eliminate FGM, there must be a multi- dimensional approach that involves all stakeholders. IAC at the 2003 International conference on Zero Tolerance to FGM presented a common Agenda for action for the elimination of FGM which was adopted by the conference as a tool for harnessing energy to achieve Zero FGM worldwide.

IAC partners with the media because the media reaches a wider segment of the population with powerful and lasting messages. Therefore their involvement in the campaign would likely accelerate reaching the goal of eliminating FGM.

From 1993 to date, IAC has been working closely with the media by organising media workshops, conferences, press briefing and through direct involvement of media professionals in program planning and implementation in the different countries where IAC has National Committees.

Engaging the media in the campaign against FGM has resulted in some successes top of which is breaking the taboo on the FGM and making it a public discourse.

It could be recalled that the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices is an international non governmental network organisation founded in Dakar, Senegal in 1984. The vision of IAC is to see “A society in which African women and children fully enjoy their human right to live free from harmful traditional practices”.IAC has its headquarters at the UN premises in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and a liaison office in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ms Min-Whee Kang, the Unicef representative to The Gambia has described The Gambia as a shining example with regards to its drive towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). She made this remark when she paid a courtesy call on President Alhaji Dr Yayah Jammeh, at State House, last Wednesday.

In a marathon meeting with the president, the Unicef rep pointed out that The Gambia is "on track" to meet most of the MDGs by 2015.

"The first MDG is the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger and The Gambia, where the figure of underweight children has dropped to 17%, is well on track. Equally, The Gambia is doing well on the second MDG, the achievement of universal primary schooling," she said.

Ms Kang praised the efforts of the government of The Gambia in initiating the Education Sector Strategic Plan for the realisation of Education for All (EFA) by 2015. She lauded the tremendous progress made in the area of girls’ education.

"This government’s extra efforts in the education sector has enabled The Gambia to move closer to the third MDG, gender equality in access to education," she said.

Ms Kang further praised the government’s efforts in pursuing equality, citing the 2006 Food Act, the Children’s Act and the Women’s Bill as examples of the progress. Ms Kang then underlined the importance of the iodisation of salt in line with the Food Act.

During the courtesy call, President Jammeh pointed out that most of the salt mined in The Gambia is naturally iodised and that it is the imported salt, eaten mainly in the cities that need iodising. "Up-country, in places like Basse, we don’t need to iodise salt," said the president.