By Bisola Adeyemo
Ms Cecilia Abena Dapaah, caretaker Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection says women should be involved in the management of climate change issues in the country.
She said this at the media launch of this year’s commemoration of the International Women’s Day (IWD), organised by the ministry in partnership with the European Union (EU), and the Global Affairs Canada, on Thursday.
According to her current climate change crisis coupled with COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore, the need to take appropriate actions that will ensure a better life for all especially, women, girls, and the vulnerable.
“Women are increasingly being recognised as more vulnerable to climate change impacts than men as they constitute the majority of the worlds poor and are more dependent on the natural resources that threaten climate change the most, ” she said.
Ms Dapaah, who is also the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, said women and girls have important roles as primary land, water, and natural resources managers and are powerful agents of change in formulating responses to climate change and thus should be seen as part of the solution.
She said women are fundamental in climate change mitigation, largely due to their critical role in energy efficiency, their receptiveness to greener sources of energy, as well as their power to change consumption patterns. Women and girls are also early adopters of new agricultural techniques and first responders when disaster strikes.
“As a country we should design climate change mitigation and adaptation programmes that reduce women’s and girls’ unpaid care work, whilst strengthening collaboration with all the actors to ensure that gender is adequately mainstreamed in the management of climate change, Ghanian time reports.
Mr Peter Smidt Van-Gelder, Deputy Head of Mission, European Union Delegation to Ghana said the union considered gender equality and empowerment of women and girls as a fundamental human rights issue because women were vital for development in every facet of life.
International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8 around the world. Designated by United Nations (UN) globally celebrates the economic, political, and social achievements of women, past, present, and future.