Government Urged to Mitigate the Adverse Impact of Climate Change on Women in the Country
By Esthe Enna
Following adverse effects on some vulnerable Groups in Nigeria, Some women in Nasarawa State have appealed to the government at all levels to expedite efforts towards mitigating the adverse impact of climate change in the country.
They bared their minds while speaking on challenges women and children face as a result of Climate Change during a three-day Dialogue for women groups on climate justice advocacy in Lafia the Nasarawa State Capital.
The three days Dialogue for Women groups in Nasarawa State was Organised by Education as a Vaccine in collaboration with Beacon Youths Initiative as part of their activities on the African Activists for Climate Justice, AACJ Project aimed to advocate for climate justice for women, girls and persons with disabilities in Nasarawa State.
Narrating her ordeal, the Coordinator of Women with Disabilities Initiative in Nasarawa State, Mrs Asaba Averson said many of her properties were destroyed when floods affected her home and made movement difficult for her and her disabled husband for some days without support.
Mrs Asaba Averson noted that the flood had also washed away the houses of some other persons living with disabilities and left them homeless.
On her part, President of the Market Women Association in Nasarawa State, Mrs Hadiza Sabo Jibrin said women and girls are mostly victims of sexual and gender-based violence in an event of climate change crisis where they have to go far distances to get water for use at home.
They are advocating for proactive measures by government at all levels by including women in discussions and decision making tables on climate change issues towards mitigating the challenges associated with climate change across the state.
Director of Climate Change at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Angbashim Ishaku said his ministry has embarked on sensitization to residents of the state ways to prevent climate crisis, calling on people living in riverine areas to vacate to safer grounds.
Executive Secretary, Young Men Christian Association, YMCA Mada Hills, Mr Ango Adamu called on the women to step down the knowledge acquired at the programme to their various communities to reduce the impact of climate change.
Earlier, the Head of Programmes, Education as a Vaccine, Oluwatosin Alagbe explained that the dialogue with the women groups was to rub minds on some of the climate change crises they face and to come up with an inclusive plan to carry out different advocacy activities by the group of women towards advancing climate justice for women and girls across the state.
The three-day dialogue put together by Education as a Vaccine in collaboration with Beacon Youths Initiative with the support of African Activists for Climate Justice, AACJ, had in attendance representatives of women groups across the thirteen local government areas of the state.
