Before the 18th and 19th century, it was deemed that women have no role in environmental conservation and promotion, as well as they, were shunned in all major sphere of social life.
Women across the globe were confined to the domestic spheres, while public life was reserved for men. They were denied the right to education, land and property ownership, and participation in public life. This became a major obstacle to women’s empowerment and poverty alleviation.
However, over time, gender inclusivity became a great concern and women have become aware of their rights and duties in society, with most taking part in environment conservation and raising their voice against its degradation.
In communities around the world, women are responsible for domestic and household management, and through these responsibilities, they interact more intensively with the natural environment. They play key roles as farmers, collectors of water, firewood and medicinal plants. Consequently, through this direct contact with the environment, they tend to have a deep- knowledge about the environment.
Studies indicate women are significant actors in natural resource management, and are major contributors to environmental conservation, sustainable development, and adaptation to climate change.
For instance, the 1992 UN Earth Summit, India’s Chipko movement and Kenya’s Green Belt Movement all highlighted the role of women voices and perspectives in sustainable development. Lately, we have women movements that advocate and demand better protection of natural resources.
In Kenya, we are experiencing several environmental-related problems such as climate change, dumping of hazardous waste, destruction of forests, wetlands, and the impact of desertification. The need to protect the environment therefore becomes imperative.
Women, particularly those from rural communities, are participating in conservation solutions, which translates into improvements across sectors such as increased food supply, improved health and economic security, innovation in forestry, climate-change effects mitigation and better management of ecosystems.
Likewise, when rural women participate in conservation and land-use decision-making, resources are more equitably distributed in communities.
For instance, we have the Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Scheme, which is a mechanism used by the Kenya Forest Service to establish plantation forests they allocate portions to local communities under Community Forest Associations to cultivate certain crops while tending the seedlings up to three years.
The survey indicates women are the majority beneficiaries of these schemes, thus, their contribution to forest conservation ought to be captured correctly.
Moreover, in Kakamega forest, women cover great distances to harvest firewood. They tend to have a powerful incentive to manage forests sustainably. For instance, the Women in Water and Natural Resources Conservation, an NGO in Western Kenya, works with grassroots' women, youth, and men to support them to embrace socioeconomic change and transformation through community conservations and participation.
Through “My Voice, My Choice, My Future! campaign”, the NGO works with 50 women groups in climate change and environmental conservation. This is to show how women are actively participating in the protection of biodiversity through tree planting or raising seedling in nursery and harvesting resources in a sustainable way.
The Green Belt Movement, which was founded by the Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai, has been at the forefront in environmental restoration. The movement has been empowering rural women across the country through environmental preservation.
In terms of waste disposal and management, women are actively involved because they are closer to the environment by keeping it clean, especially in terms of garbage disposal.
Women should thus be encouraged to participate in committees on environmental protection projects, programmes, and policies to address gender imbalances in decision-making. Moreover, women’s access to land and other resources should be ensured and not undermined.
More resources from the government should certainly be invested to ensure gender equity regarding access to and control of resources and examining the effects of biodiversity conservation initiatives on women.
Finally, environmental education including formal and informal education, training, and extension is also required to help support sustainable development.
Dr. John Chumo is secretary, National Environmental Complaints Committee, while Naomi Kemei is a development communications practitioner