Local Government Authorities in Rivers State have been charged to set up gender desks for the Climate Change Action to facilitate the implementation of the National Gender Action Plan for Climate Change already put in place by the federal government. This was part of recommendations arrived at a capacity building workshop that had in attendance, local government, community leaders and community women on localizing gender action plan on climate change.
Welcoming participants to the event, the executive director of the Institute, Mrs. Mgbechi Anyakwee, disclosed that the workshop was aimed at educating the local government officials so that they will go to their various local government areas and implement the plan and include women in the process.
She disclosed that the institute implemented a project on promoting knowledge of climate change among girls, women and vulnerable groups to expand the knowledge of climate change.
“We are working with global green grants on localizing gender based action on climate change. We want to adopt national action plan in localizing gender action in local government establishing climate change desk and securing advocacy budget.”
The facilitator of the workshop, Dr. Ameachi Kelechi Justin explained that gender can be localized at the local government level, stressing that the workshop seeks to gauge the level of understanding of the issue among the council leaderships.
“It is to know the capacity of the local government officials and the community people on gender sensitive issues and gender concerns and align it with national climate action plan to build capacity, conduct institutional assessment on where to ascertain where the government are at the moment and improve on whatever they have”.
Dr. Justin emphasized that there is no action plan on climate change in the 23 local government areas of Rivers State and that is a major point of concern for civil societies and robs the people of the opportunity to adequately address the challenges of climate change.
“We have been warned by the coming rain by NEIMET and other metrological institutions (of imminent flood), if you do not have a policy on adapting and mitigating climate change challenge, how do we begin to take action to mitigate the challenge so there has to be a policy document on how government should address climate change challenges?”
He called on government to end gas flaring especially in communities where oil and gas activities are ongoing and they can do that by converting gas to energy.
“We are talking about transiting from fossil to green and clean energy; cleaner energy that can harness our gas potential. In fact, studies have proven that we have over 2.09 nitric tones of gas so we can capture gas that is being flared and convert them to energy to serve the Niger Delta and the country at large.”
The resource person, Chief Constance Meju, who spoke on, “Analysis of Gender Roles and Responsibilities in Project Design, Budgeting and Resource Allocation” said it is time to bridge existing gaps in our society to help effectively spread development so it will engender accountability and make community rise above poverty and the conflicts they experience.
She stated that for centuries, society has determined how people behaved according to their gender, a development that kept women disadvantaged.
“These roles shape our behaviors, attitudes and responsibilities considered appropriate for each gender. This confirms strength and opportunities in the men but has left women in a pool of weakness and deprivation which has created inequality in the society,” the resource person pointed out.
Painting a picture of the status of the ordinary Nigerian woman, Chief Constance stated that Nigeria is a dangerous place to give birth according to World record and she has a very high mortality rate.
“A 2023 United Nations report estimated that Nigerian women have the second highest number of maternal deaths in the world; that 1047 women die from every 100,000 deliveries according to the BBC and, this translates to 75,000 deaths annually”.
She stated further that in Nigeria, women account for over 70 percent of the farming population but their yield is considered lower because their challenges are neither captured nor addressed in policy circles, that they lack access to quality farming implements, good seedlings, fertilizer, insecticide, technology and right to land ownership.
In 2023, she added, it was estimated that the population of women was around 112.68 million while men were 115.21 million and, women particularly those in the south, are more likely to experience poverty in education, health, employment and living conditions because all are tied to money, and that poverty is strongly linked to gender inequality with women disproportionately facing challenges in assessing resources, opportunities and protection.
Also, the woman in the community is powerless and as such can hardly contribute to development, she added while calling on lawmakers to engage with women by dialogue to understand their needs and how best to push them forward in governance.
She urged public and community leaders to intentionally build women and girls’ needs and considerations into policies and plans and charged women to follow up on policies and projects meant for them, while also ensuring that their voices are heard at all levels of the society to ensure inclusion.
Following the flow of conversations and updates on what is happening to women in other places, some of the chiefs in attendance promised to begin to be gender sensitive in the distribution of resources, opportunities and policy development.
In their different contributions, deputy director National Orientation Agency, NOA, Miss Amucheazi ifeyinwa Helen advised people to plant trees which will absolve the gases being emitted to ensure a healthier environment.
She said a solution to the climate change challenge is having an inclusive participation through mainstreaming gender.
“Let everybody be involved especially, women and vulnerable groups. Everything concerning women is about rights; if you take away women from anything you’re doing, you have defeated the cause because at the end of the day, you will never achieve as much as you would have achieved if women are involved in the process”.
Chief Chinedu Nwabueze, from Ibaa Community in Emohua Local Government Areas speaking on the workshop outcome said, “I will carry gender action plan to my community; as a grass root people, we will make sure we localize it, As a chief, I have the mouth power to organize my people and recall what has happened today to them.
“In the case of women, we should not discriminate, we should also try to give women equal power for them to participate in all policy making and executions.”
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