WUNRN
ActionAid International
SUPPORTING POOR WOMEN'S LIVELIHOOD
ADAPTION IS KEY TO FOOD SECURITY IN SOUTH ASIA
We Know What We Need! South Asian Women Speak Out about Climate
Change
View
PDF
http://www.actionaidusa.org/images/climate_change/ActionAidIDSReport%20_Weknowwhatweneed.pdf
______________________________________________________________________
Chandrika Tiwari, 60, Banke, Nepal
"I am 60 years old, and I have
never experienced so much flooding, droughts, hot winds, and hailstones as in
recent years....I am surprised how often we have these problems. Whatever the
cause, more crops are failing, and production is lower."
______________________________________________________________________
Climate change is affecting
everybody, regardless of caste, ethnicity, sex, race or level of income. But it
is women like Chandrika who are suffering the most, simply because they are
women, and women are poorer. Women make up for 70% of the world's poor. They
have less access to financial resources, land, education, health and other
basic rights than men, and are seldom involved in decision making processes.
Women are therefore less able to cope with the impact of climate change and are
less able to adapt.
The
poorest countries in the world are hit first and worst by the impacts of
climate change. While the richest countries in the world produce a
disproportionate amount of the carbon emissions that cause global warming, poor
countries are dealing with the droughts and floods that result. Climate change
is now one of the biggest obstacles to ending poverty and one of the greatest
sources of inequity among rich and poor nations.
Furthermore, women's role in food
production and as food providers, heightens their vulnerability to climate
change even further. Women are responsible for approximately 75% of household
food production in sub-Saharan Africa, 65% in Asia, and 45% in Latin America.
As the strain on food becomes more intense, women, who are predominately
responsible for carrying out farming activities, will bear the brunt of the
burden, thus jeopardizing their chances to work outside the home or to attend
school.
Although women farmers are adapting
to climate change using local knowledge and experience, they lack financial
resources, information, and technical assistance.
ESSENTIAL ADAPTATION PRIORITIES FOR
POOR WOMEN IN SOUTH ASIA:
*A safe place to live.
*The ability to grow their own food
and store their harvests and livestock.
*Improved access to services such as
agricultural extension.
*Training and information about
adaptation strategies and livelihood alternatives
*Access to resources to implement
effective strategies and overcome constraints.
================================================================
To leave the list, send your request by email to: wunrn_listserve-request@lists.wunrn.com.
Thank you.