Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof. Rosemond Boohene has intimated that while environmental degradation has serious consequences for all humans, its effect, in particular, is on women and girls.
She says without gender equality today, a sustainable future and an equal future remains beyond reach.
Quoting the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Pro-Vice-Chancellor noted that 80% of the displaced by tragic related incidents and changes around the world are women and girls.
“This is partially due to differences in the ownership of economic resources including labor and capital and also due to entrenched cultural norms and beliefs, social and political discriminations that work against women,” she said.
She was speaking at this year’s forum organized by the Centre for Gender Research, Advocacy and Documentation (CEGRAD) of the University of Cape Coast to celebrate women on the international women’s day at the University of Cape Coast.
International Women’s Day is celebrated yearly on March 8 to appreciate the roles women and girls across the globe play in the history of their countries and communities. This year’s celebration is on the theme, “gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”.
According to Prof. Rosemond Boohene, the theme for this year’s celebration is apt as it discusses how the country can achieve gender equality in the context of climate change and environmental and disaster risk reduction.
Keynote speaker at the forum, Dr. Michelle Naa Kordei Clottey hinted that in other to ensure gender equality in our societies, there is the need to address the numerous gender gaps such as traditional norms and cultures which exist globally.
She noted that “the gap basically has to do with how women are treated differently from men when it comes to the management of resources and even in the local level how men are treated when it comes to issues”.
According to her, about 47% of women involved in fishery are at the lower level doing the less paid and less secured jobs while men are at the management level.
She said “there is the need to get women involved as part of the management or decision-making body so that their input can also be heard. Women are primary users of resources so why not seek their thoughts on how to manage it to benefit them”.
Speaking to ATL FM NEWS, the Director of CEGRAD UCC, Dr. Georgina Yaa Oduro charged the entire world, especially the participants of the forum to help promote a free pollution environment to ensure a sustainable environment.
“So, we all have a role to play, both men, women, and children. So, we should all come together to see what we can in our own small spaces which will contribute to the global agenda in terms of environmental safety,” she hinted.
The forum brought together girls and women from about fifteen educational institutions, security agencies, and other organizations within the Cape Coast Metropolis to deliberate on how to ensure that women are given equal opportunities as men in all aspects of life.
A panel discussion was held on the topic, “Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction Management: the role of women and girls”.
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Source: Eric Sekyi/ATLFMNEWS
