Women's Rights and Livelihoods

 

Women’s Rights and Livelihoods

In this 5^th episode of the I Lead Climate Action 30 days of activism, our guest is Dr. Bernadatte P. Resurreccion who has researched and taught gender, livelihoods, climate change adaptation, migration and natural resources management. Bernadatte is also Associate Professor at Queen’s University in Canada and has lead sponsored projects that are climate related. In an interview with I Lead Climate Initiative to spotlight women’s resilience in climate action, Bernadatte gave her perspectives on how women’s rights could strength livelihoods. If women’s rights continue to be fragile it could mean more hunger, endless poverty, food insecurity especially in worsening conditions of climate change. For example, equal land rights could improve livelihood options. If women worldwide had the same access to productive resources as men, they could increase yields on their farms by 20-30% and raise total agricultural output by 2.5-4% according to FAO. Gains in agricultural production alone could lift 100 to 150 million people out of hunger, according to a UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimate. However, “using” women to increase agricultural productivity does not improve their situation in any holistic sense. They should be empowered to claim their resource rights and challenge continued exploitation of natural resources that lead to crises such as climate change, degradation, and disasters, as well as perpetuate social injustices.

Furthermore, poor and racialized women are largely burden bearers of the brunt of the climate crisis – especially the informal section of the economy. The climate crisis is fast eroding our livelihoods through droughts, floods, heatwaves and other extreme temperatures. Livelihoods at risk lead to displacement which further erodes women’s rights and may keep them in a vulnerable position.

I totally agree with views that Bernadette shared during the interview that capitalism and extraction for accumulating wealth marginalize poor and racialized women through their undervalued work and the exploitation of natural resources. These conditions deny women their rights to just and equal access to resources needed for their livelihoods, their wellbeing, and that of their loved. There is a need for us to transform and enable women to fully exercise their rights to a just, sustainable and safe livelihoods. rights to strive.Everyone has a right and that right has a solution to give in solving the defining issues of our time.

Host: Oladosu Adenike (oladosuadenike32@gmail.com) is an ecofeminist, climate justice leader, eco-reporter and the founder of I Lead Climate Action initiative. She advocate for the restoration of Lake Chad and a green democracy.

Guest: Dr Bernadette P. Resurreccion is an associate professor at Queen's University in Canada as well as Queen's national scholar in development in practice. She's a senior research fellow at SEI Asia and has led several sponsored projects on climate related issues.