Samira Bawumia
The maiden Africa Women and Children Conference (AFRIWOCC) has highlighted the need for women, children and young people to be offered the platform to discuss climate issues at all levels.
This and many others were some of the issues contained in a communiqué released by AFRIWOC at a recent conference held on August 4, on the theme, “Amplifying the voices of Women and children in Climate Action.”
The conference also sought to address the adverse effects of climate change on vulnerable groups while documenting indigenous knowledge and innovations in climate change solutions.
The two-day conference also concluded with the following action points that, “Efforts must be made to create spaces for the voices of African women, children, and young people in climate discussions at all levels; The inadequate institutional capacity and high levels of gender inequality have compounded the adverse impact of climate change in Africa, particularly for women and children; The climate crisis in Africa has had an adverse effect on food security which disproportionately impacts women and children leading to widespread malnutrition, poor health outcomes, conflict, and increased exposure to violence;
The rest are “Africa’s youthful population presents both an opportunity and a challenge to social cohesion if the right investments are not made in positive climate action and Climate action narrative must shift from a problem-based approach to identifying and seizing opportunities for innovation, creative solutions, education, and empowerment, particularly for women and children among others.
The conference recommended a series of measures to address some of the key observations. They include gender-balanced delegations to climate change conferences, the adoption of indigenous and locally-led interventions, capacity building, and involvement of traditional authorities in climate action, prioritizing women and children issues in government policies, integrating climate education into basic school curricula, and designing gender-sensitive programs by development partners, among others.
The communiqué further said the recommendations from AFRIWOCC will be explored and potentially refined from adoption at the Climate Summit week in Nairobi-Kenya this month and the UNFCCC Conference of parties (COP), 28 in Dubai later this year.
AFRIWOCC is a biennial conference convened by H.E Samira Bawumia under the Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects (SEHP) to create true inclusivity for women and children across the African Continent, through meaningful dialogues and the showcase of innovative solutions to issues confronting women and children in Africa. Each year, the conference adopts a prevailing area of focus as a theme.
This conference brought together about 800 participants and exhibitors from across Africa, including high-level dignitaries such as the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; the Vice President of Liberia, Jewel Taylor; and Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the South African Minister for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities.
The next edition of AFRIWOCC is slated for 2025.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah