NEWS

20 June 2005

WOMEN AND DESERTIFICATION

“Women and desertification”, is the theme of this year’s “World Day to Combat Desertification”, celebrated today. The theme was selected to recognize the role played by women in the regions affected by desertification and drought, particularly in rural areas of developing countries. It is the women who, through their daily work, experience the consequences of environmental degradation the most. They are the ones in charge for the provision of fresh water for their families, and agricultural activities that require irrigation. Which in turn ensures the good sanitation and health needs of their children.

As a result of the immediate impact of desertification on women’s lives, they can — and indeed should — contribute their valuable knowledge to the search for alternative solutions. However, quite frequently, women have limited power and opportunities to influence fundamental changes. Due to this weaker position, women have been excluded from the discussions involving soil conservation, development projects, agriculture and policies that have a direct impact on their lives. Therefore, to effectively combat desertification, it is necessary to support women through technical and financial resources, as well as to acknowledge the determining role they can play in dryland ecosystems.

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is promoting the participation of women through an approach that makes their role visible in the implementation of the Convention. According to the UN, the successful fight against dryland degradation may well be increased by encouraging women’s greater participation in research, planning and decision-making venues at all levels of UNCCD implementation.

Source: IUCN