Inheritors of the Earth

Women are poised to be the most responsive to change in the 21st century. Disparities, reduced productivity of land, abysmal incomes and climate change are the powerful incentives that will drive this change.

It can be argued that a majority of rural women in India belong to a conventionally disadvantaged community and there is very little that can be done to pull them out of the endless cycle of poverty and deprivation. But with so much more at stake today and as a result of the impacts of climate change, women will go beyond coping to actually leading the change.

According to a report published by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), ‘women are among the most vulnerable to climate change, partly because in many countries they make up the larger share of the agricultural work force and partly because they tend to have access to fewer income-earning opportunities’.

Since rural women use land to produce food for their family, they acquire knowledge of the land and soil conditions, water and other environmental features. This close relationship promotes a culture of respectful use and preservation of the environment. Consequently, women have created a value system for environmental issues and tend to see the environment as a resource for their basic needs which should be preserved. To cite an example, rural Indian women prefer to collect the dead branches lying on the ground for fuel wood rather than cut live trees.

Any changes in the environment on these areas - such as deforestation or droughts - affect the women most. Studies reveal that while women are responsible for managing household resources, they typically don’t have a say in the use and management of environmental resources, which is integral to their households and communities.

Women can play a key role in addressing this issue. With an instinctive capacity to nurture the environment, these earth-keepers have the traditional knowledge that carries social memory and culture on which a large part of the next generation will survive and from which innovation can derive inspiration and knowledge. Rural women in particular can be instrumental in establishing the livelihood security of millions of households and in achieving sustainable use of natural resources. Therefore, the role that women can play must be reinforced by empowering them to be the key change agents. Investing in women can bring about this change, by allowing them access to education, inspiration and encouragement to take action for their own welfare and further develop their resilience. Providing them opportunities can lead to women going beyond coping with climate change to actually becoming climate change agents.

Development Alternatives (DA) has taken such a step in initiating a dialogue with rural women to take the lead in change by creating awareness on the risks of climate change and the possible adaptation measures they can adopt. DA’s work in this field revolves around empowering women by giving them opportunities and voices for change.

DA’s intervention related to risk reduction for social security is to enhance the capacity of women to manage climate change risks through participatory rural media communications in the Bundelkhand region. With community radio as a focus, a compelling learning tool has been evolved that includes radio content created by rural reporters, folk songs, folk theatre, focus group discussions and face-to-face discussions on the basis of narrowcasting of programmes on climate change adaptation and programmes with experts at the Video Resource Centre.

One good example of an adaptation measure is the setting up of a bio-gas plant, which has resulted in the creation of enough energy for livelihoods such as grinding of spices. Women were given the information to understand the concept of bio-gas, the ability to make choices and the opportunity and skills to implement the idea. The renewable energy story based on dung from non-milch cattle is just one example where the women have demonstrated an adaptative capacity and built their resilience to climate change. DA is promoting the adaptation of other climate friendly technologies like low energy consuming cook stoves, using waste materials like cotton rags instead of wood for handmade paper, and working on several climate mitigation technologies that are user friendly.

There are many more such initiatives that have been taken and can be taken across the country, where women are playing the role of change agents and changing the destinies of their children. As Eric Hoffer puts it, ‘In times of change, learners inherit the Earth’ q

Indira Mansingh
imansingh@devalt.org

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