By Arasha Soila
Nairobi, Kenya: The Annual Women rights convention, took place on the 25th of November this year hosted by CRAWN Trust in collaboration with the County Government of Nairobi, Association of Media Women in Kenya, Global Affair Canada, women leaders from civil societies and other key stakeholders with the theme “women in action; leading climate adaptation, greening Kenya”. The event’s aim was to amplify women’s voices and leadership in climate action.
Speaking during the convention, Canadian High Commissioner to Kenya, Christopher Thornley commended the efforts of the women’s rights movement and committed to supporting them to sustain the strength of the movement in the implementation of progressive policies for the advancement of human rights. He continued by saying that Canada has doubled its commitment of over KSH5 billion Canadian dollars to climate finance.
“These funds will seek to apply a rights-based gender responsive and intersectional approach; to support women’s leadership and decision making in all aspects of climate change adaptation and mitigation,” he said.
Alice Wahome, Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, reiterated by saying that women are the pioneers and change agents of climate, therefore they should take action in greening Kenya. “My ministry will also continue working with women at the grass root level and national level to actualize the president’s vision to grow KSH 5 billion trees in the next five years,” she noted.
Additionally she said that we should continue growing the solutions that have been developed in the past to ensure that women’s voices are amplified in climate change. She continued by saying that together with the government, in line with Article 43 of the Kenyan Constitution, they are working towards ensuring that every person has access to clean water, proper sanitation, and food security.
Climate change is a highly contentious issue leaving women disproportionately affected by the crisis. Gender inequality coupled with the climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Women have a limited ability to adapt to climate change as they are also less likely to access relief due to long-standing inequalities.
As the climate situation in the country debilitates, women and girls face increased vulnerabilities including conflict-related sexual violence, child marriage, and other forms of violence. The issue of the water crisis in Nairobi has resulted in those in power abusing the powerless. Water for sex is an issue of power relations that needs to be addressed with immediate effect.
Waithera Chege, Member of County Assembly, South B, further asserted that 80% of those displaced by climate emergencies are women and girls adding that the impact of climate change has a female face. She continued by stating that having the full participation of women brings better management of conflict, humanitarian responses, pandemics,s and economic matters.
“We must diversify within women’s movements so that women have a say at the decision-making table. We want women to seize the opportunity to adopt, mitigate, build and strengthen as a result the whole community will benefit,” she said. Waithera Chege also noted that there is a need to make necessary amendments to the law to allow women to access resources as she presented the motion on Strategies and Programmes on climate change that has already been tabled to the speaker of the Nairobi County Assembly.
Hon Waithera Chege-MCA South B addressing the forum
Additionally Dagoretti North MP, Beatrice Elachi challenged stakeholders to come up with frameworks that will ensure women in informal settlements are sensitized on the issues of water conservation, sewerage management, and planting trees. “There is a need to sensitize people on laws of solid waste management and their penalties. By doing so, we will be able to mitigate climate change,” she said. She also urged women living in informal settlements to adopt vertical farming to plant their vegetables which will be safe for consumption by their children.
Hon. Beatrice Elachi, MP Dagoretti North at the convention
The impacts of climate change need to be addressed from an informed gender perspective. In a bid to fight climate change, CRAWN Trust and other actors need to continue providing financial support for women’s projects, promoting an informed society by providing civic education, and amplifying these conversations.
