NAIROBI, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The dream of a green, resilient, and inclusive future for Africa is within reach once governments harness the ingenuity of grassroots women and girls to boost action on the escalating climate crisis, senior UN officials said Tuesday at a forum in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
Mehjabeen Alarakhia, the UN Women's regional advisor on women's economic empowerment for East and Southern Africa, stressed the critical role of women in boosting the continent's ability to withstand climatic shocks.
While acknowledging that climate change has disproportionately impacted Africa's rural women and girls, Alarakhia said they could also be tapped to implement resilient measures, including natural resources conservation.
"Climate change threatens the livelihoods of African women and girls, intensifying their health risks and inability to access clean water. But women's input should be at the heart of climate response," Alarakhia said.
Convened by UN Women, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the three-day forum, which runs from April 16 to 18, will discuss the critical role of gender-responsive climate policies in advancing Africa's green agenda.
Delegates from more than 30 African countries, drawn from governments, civil society, academia, and indigenous communities, are attending the conference to chart a new gender-inclusive and green future pathway for Africa.
Alarakhia emphasized the need for climate-proof sectors that are critical to the survival and well-being of Africa's grassroots, including agriculture, water, health, forestry, and energy.
William Otieno, the UNFCCC regional lead for East and Southern Africa, observed that empowering African women and girls will be key to achieving the continents' desired outcomes during global climate negotiations.
According to Otieno, gender inclusivity should inform national and regional processes geared toward a just and sustainable transition in a continent reeling from a host of climate disasters.
Evelyn Koech, the team leader of Environment and Resilience at UNDP Kenya, said African countries required gender-inclusive policies in order to tame the devastating impacts of climate change, including floods, droughts, forced displacement, and resource-based conflicts, taking a heavier toll on women.
Koech added that for the continent to transition to a more resilient and green future, governments should integrate gender parity in climate finance and efforts to achieve net-zero targets. ■
