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Gender equality is a must for making a sustainable tomorrow and women's rights will be ensured only when gender equality is established, experts in the field said on Sunday.
The observation came at a webinar on ‘Women Breaking Biases for Climate Justice’, aligning with the international theme, ‘Gender Equality Today For A Sustainable Tomorrow’.
ActionAid Bangladesh organised the event on Sunday ahead of International Women’s Day 2022.
International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) Director Dr Saleemul Huq said that women and girls are disproportionately impacted by the adversities of climate change.
“Women’s voices, responsibilities, and knowledge on environment and the challenges they face need to be the central part of the adaptive response to a rapidly changing climate,” he said.
University of Dhaka’s Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies Professor and Founding Director Dr Mahbuba Nasreen said that research shows violence against women increases after a natural disaster.
She blamed increased traumatic stress, scarcity of basic supplies, and destruction of authoritative systems for this.
“When climate-induced disasters hit any communities, it is the women and girls who are most affected,” she said, calling upon women to demonstrate their leadership and continue to fight against climate change.
Friendship Founder and Executive Director Runa Khan stated that char dwellers are climate migrants and that the erosion of chars is putting millions of people at health risk.
“Nevertheless, women are making remarkable differences in their communities including participation in the decision-making and mobilising themselves in taking initiatives to address the ongoing climate crisis,” she added.
While delivering her speech ActionAid Bangladesh Country Director Farah Kabir claimed that women in Bangladesh face greater challenges compared to men for climate change.
She listed increased sexual harassment during any crisis, increased water-related stresses all over Bangladesh which leads to increased school dropouts of girls and child marriage, and displacement and migration associated with climate change impacts as the factors in play.
“Despite these challenges, women in Bangladesh have demonstrated enormous capacity to respond to emergencies efficiently through increased women empowerment and decision-making ability of women,” she added.
As part of the webinar, four grassroots women leaders were awarded '16th Nasreen Smriti Padak-2022'. They are Shahanaz Begum Mukti, 46, from Gaibandha, Mini Akter, 21, from Jamalpur, Naice Akter, 34, from Bogura, and Shakila Islam, 27, from Barishal.
They were awarded for setting exemplary contributions for women leadership in Covid-19 response, against sexual harassment and abuse, entrepreneurial women in online business and its success, the contribution of women in tackling the effects of climate change at the local level respectively.
Considering the special contribution of four people in these four categories, ActionAid Bangladesh handed over crests to them after a short presentation.
