“The Impact of Climate Change on Women in South Africa: Counting the Cost”
Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane: Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
Ms Lulu Xingwana: Minister of Women, Children and Persons with DisabilitiesMs Dipuo Peters: Minister of Energy
Ms Angie Motshekga: Minister of Basic Education
Ms Baleka Mbete: Convenor of the Progressive Women’s Movement of South Africa
Ms Rejoice Mabudhafasi: Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs
As already said....
The main business of the conference is to agree on how nations of the world should tackle the new threat to human development and growth – climate change. The older generation will recall that there used to be much clearer transition from summer to winter than there is now. We now get rainfall at unusual times during the year. Where the veld and forest fires burn this happens much stronger and causes more destruction than before.
We have observed worldwide that we begin to see an increase in global temperatures that are posing threat to agriculture and our livelihoods as a people, but more for women. This has been a decade of steadily increasing temperatures worldwide and unpredictable weather patterns including Hurricane Katrina in the United States America (USA), floods in Pakistan, Chile, China, Australia and the Philippines and devastating forest fires in California and Australia. These changes in climate patterns may over time cause major damage to the way we farm and fish as well as to the urban and rural infrastructure, hence we say that climate change poses a threat to our development agenda as a country and the world. There is a risk that malaria and other water borne diseases could spread to new areas and put many more people at risk.
The effects of Climate Change continue to impact negatively on food security. Studies tell us that women will suffer disproportionately as a consequence of climate change. Therefore our right to participation in international platforms like the United Nation’s Conference of the Parties or COP 17 must be understood as part of our objective as a voice of women in developing country that faces threat from changes in climatic conditions.
The time to act is now, since we are already beginning to see and recognise the effects of Climate Change – so that our actions can be celebrated by our grand-daughters in the next fifty five years. We need to see the global debate on climate change, as the next stop, for the emancipation of women.
Therefore, it would not be a contradiction to say that women are the most vulnerable group to the effects of climate change, especially in Africa; hence we must all take keen interest in these talks and our unfolding policy process towards a Climate Change Response Policy.
Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the Kenyan Green Belt Movement, Wangari Maathai, reminded us that the primary food producers and procurers of water and fuel for cooking are women. Therefore any efforts to address the threat posed by Climate Change will be insufficient if it does not include women. Therefore, the time has come for us as women leaders to influence the discussions and the positions taken by various parties in ensuring that we address, the key cause of climate change – Carbon Emissions, from our unsustainable human activities and practices.
As I conclude, let me remind ourselves, that the ANC Conference, held just outside here, in Mankweng, in 2007, adopted a special resolution on Climate Change which has now raised the profile of international environmental issues, and our commitment to conclude a national climate change policy and action plan for the country. The Polokwane resolution on climate change resulted in the approval in July 2008 of the initiation of a National Climate Change Response policy development process to culminate in a White Paper by end 2011.
We are gathered here today after the successful hosting of the National Women’s Conference in Gauteng last week that formed part our launch of the Women’s Month programme. Tomorrow, the 9th of August, will mark the 55th Anniversary of National Women’s Day – A day we will all remember, as the day, the slogan “wathinth’a Bafazi Wathint’i Mbokodo” made sense, to both friend and enemy alike.
It was fifty five years ago, that women, said in one voice, we also demand to be heard – and this is our view. We need to be inspired by that generation, and once again say in one voice, we demand to be heard, and this is our view. Our celebration of this year’s Women’s Month comes as South Africa prepares to host the United Nations 17th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change or what we will hear being referred to as COP 17/CMP 7 in Durban from 28 November to 9 December.
The absence of women, particularly those from the global South, from national and international discussions and decision-making on Climate Change and development must change. Women, especially rural women’s limited access to resources and their direct dependence on natural resources such as wood for energy and clean water as a scarce commodity are issues that must be engaged on and deliberated. A more coherent approach also requires much greater attention and action to address the particular challenges facing women and their role in advancing sustainable development.
Inclusive in such an approach, is Climate Change Adaptation which responds and successfully reduces the vulnerability or the risk of natural and human systems to climate change effects. As part of the work we do to prepare for the COP 17, we will be engaging widely with the various communities and women should be part of these dialogues, or Climate Change Provincial Summits that will run between September and October aimed at getting the views from the ground.
Women are an integral element of these voices and we will ensure that we recognise the vulnerability of women to climate change so as to ensure that our position at the Climate talks also recognises that. We have committed, together with Deputy Minister, Cde Rejoice Mabudafhasi that we will attend each and every one of these summits, and listen more.
As part of our daily work of contribution to the testing of this national plan, our department has continued to implement programmes which create large numbers of ‘green jobs’, public employment are designed to mitigate the effects of climate change – Like Working for Water, Working for Wetlands, Alien Invasive Programme etc.
Climate Change is one of the greatest threats to our planet and to our people. Climate change, if un-mitigated, also has the potential to undo or undermine many of the positive advances made in meeting South Africa’s own development goals and the Millennium Development Goals.
It is up to all of us to ensure that working together we can save tomorrow, today. Kea leboga bagaetsho.
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