Tuesday, April 9th, 2024 | By
The National Association of professional Environmentalists (NAPE) is calling on government to adopt the ecofeminist approach to advance successful climate actions.
On March, 28 2024, NAPE and partners working on Gender and Climate Change coalition under French Embassy supported PISCCA project ‘For an Intergenerational and Creative Feminist Movement in Uganda’ crowned the women’s month with the launch of a research study titled: Feminist analysis of the impacts of climate change on women’s rights in Uganda.
The research that highlights police gaps in Uganda laws meant to address climate change impacts and suggests recommendations, was launched at Fairway Hotel in Kampala.
According to the research conducted, about 85% of women in Uganda depend on use of land for livelihood and food for production for their families. 75% of women are smallholder farmers dependent on rain-fed agriculture and climate-sensitive resources. And given the nature of poverty and various systematic power imbalances, climate change effects are bound to continue causing bigger crisis for women.
Some of the key findings of the research were that women and girls are the most vulnerable social group to impacts of climate change yet they are under-represented in decision-making bodies. ‘In Uganda, for example, majority of women continue to be excluded from political, policy and decision-making roles; and in instances where they are included, systemic hindrances related to power and control continue to prevail -this leads to lack of voices for the climate change most impacted communities, ‘according to the research.
The research recognizes women as the most effective agents of change since they have in-depth knowledge of the territories that have been the source of their livelihoods for generations. It also notes that the key existing policy frameworks are failing to achieve effective climate action.
Following the research, NAPE recommends a feminist approach to climate justice that challenges unequal power relations based on gender; and advocates for strategies that address the root causes of inequality, transform power relations and promote women’s rights.
It calls on the government to adopt solutions that prioritize the needs and voices of the ost vulnerable, marginalized and neglected communities and climate change solutions that take into account the specific needs and indigenous knowledge of local communities.
It calls on government to recognize and support women as lead agents of addressing climate change impacts
It also calls on the government to revise and adopt policy frameworks that reverse the current intersecting injustices and work towards integrating gender within the intersecting policies of different ministries.
During the launch, Christine Kaaya- the Kiboga Woman Member of Parliament and the shadow minister for water and environment applauded NAPE for taking on the mantle of fighting for climate justice with a feminist approach. She also appreciated NAPE for establishing a community radio in Kiboga which is helping in amplifying the voices in environmental conservation and especially for women.
She said the solutions to climate change should be designed on a feminist lens from grassroots and is happy that NAPE has come up with the study. She noted that climate act does not have regulations to effect its implementation and that parliament plans to have them in the coming financial year.
Joan Akiiza, the Senior Program Officer Gender and Legal Affairs at NAPE said the organization and its partners including Fridays for Future Uganda, Girls for Climate Action and Simma Africa Foundation for creative arts conducted a research after realizing that women are missing in climate change solutions despite government’s efforts to put regulations and policies in place.
She said there is need to ensure that women and girls affected by climate change have increased decision over their natural resources and climate change solutions and promoting a strong feminist movement right from grassroots to promote gender justice.
The research can be found on https://nape.or.ug/download/nape_feminist-analysis-of-the-impacts-of-climate-change-on-womens-rights-in-uganda/
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