Planner Gifty Nyarko, the Sunyani Zonal Secretary of Women in Planning, a wing of the Ghana Institute of Planners (GIP), says the role of rural women is critical for the effective and sustainable environmental management and preservation in ecosystem promotion and development.
According to her, rural women need empowerment, recognition, capacity building and support systems to actualize their stewardship to the environment.
In an interview with rbnewshub.com at Odumase, near Sunyani West in the Bono region to commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day, Planner Gifty Nyarko said women, particularly those in rural communities, have extensive knowledge of the local environments which makes their involvement in environmental decision-making crucial, therefore requiring empowerment to realize their indispensable role in conserving the environment.
Planner Nyarko observed that women are responsible for tasks such as food production, water collection, and fuel gathering activities that directly impact the natural resource management, therefore, a gender-responsive approach is essential because men and women interact with natural resources in different ways.
Consequently, environmental policies, programs and projects must recognize these gender-specific roles to be truly effective, she said.
For her part, Planner Anthonia Ayamga, the Sunyani Zonal GIP Organizer noted women are the most severely affected by climate change and to mitigate the impacts, society must take proactive measures to strengthen women ability to contribute from their unique ways to safeguarding the environment and enhance climate resilience.
She outlined key contributions made by rural women in environmental preservation, such as “Seed saving and Indigenous Agriculture practices”, saying women were good in playing a crucial role in preserving biodiversity by safeguarding indigenous seeds and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
According to her, women have knowledge to ensures food security and the resilience of traditional farming systems, Sustainable Food Production and Nutrition Security through their role as primary food producers, contributing to both household and community well-being.
Touching on water resource management, Pln. Ayamga said women were primary water collectors in many rural communities and adopt water conservation techniques that promote sustainable water usage and management at home.
She said women contribute to environmental cleanliness through waste segregation, composting, and recycling initiatives within their communities.
In this regard, she is advocating for an increased in women participation in policymaking, by making room for more indigenous women in rural communities being actively involved in the discussion of issues related to environmental management, policies, decision-making processes and full implementation of international agreements.
She also observed that environmental sustainability cannot be achieved without the inclusion of women, therefore the need to acknowledge and support their contributions through which societies can build resilient communities capable of adapting to climate change and preserving natural resources for future generations.
Hence, training programs should be implemented to equip rural women with the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding to become community advocates for environmental protection, she emphasized.
