Workshop of ASEAN Women Adapt to Climate Change Surroundings at ASEAN People’s Forum, May 4, 2011 concluded that the women in Southeast Asia particularly marginalized people are not ready to face the impact of climate change. It can be seen especially from the lives of the women workers such as farmers and fisherwomen who depend entirely from nature and weather condition. The situation is deeply affected not only to herself, but also to her children and family.
The problem occurs when women was forced to adapt with climate change, the mitigation program for women is forgotten, even in ASEAN itself.
“We highly recognized that the mitigation of climate change is not gender-neutral,” said Risma Umar, one of the speakers of the workshop. When the climate change occurs, women suffer layered injustice impacts. The processes which built from national to international level were patriarchy and biased on gender.
The climate change generally forced ASEAN women to own double jobs. When they no longer have access to one job, usually they look for job alternatives. In many cases of the impact in climate change, the heaviest burden faced by women is providing food for the family.
The solutions offered by some countries, including the ASEAN countries are considered to have no positive impacts to women. The projects generate only suppression. Human rights are not used as bases in negotiating processes. “Actually we just want justice in development and resource gatherings,” said Risma.
For instance, women in indigenous society face problems on land processing, because they live from the land. The food and medicines were gathered directly from nature. The women own certain personal experiences in climate change. Unfortunately the UNFCCC and the policies at local levels often forget these indigenous people, oftentimes they do not realized that the government policies have entered their village.
For further information please contact Ms. Mida Saragih or by email at [email protected], 081322306673 and Lilik HS, 0818 777 500 or email [email protected]
