Women hit harder by climate change impacts

This was said in Bagamoyo District, Coast Region recently during another round of journalists training programme on biodiversity conservation organized by the Journalists’ Environmental Association of Tanzania (JET) with support from USAID.

Dorothy Nyoni, monitoring and evaluation collaborative learning officer at USAID-supported Tuhifadhi Maliasili project said there are some a few cases where women are incorporated into conservation efforts.

 “We have seen remarkable examples in the Burunge area of Manyara Region where tourism outfits like Honey-guide foundation, Chem-Chem Association and Asilia safaris empower women to benefit from conservation initiatives,” she said.

Women are engaged in making and trading traditional souvenirs for tourists, involved in cultural programmes for visitors as well as young men and women being recruited to be village game scouts.

Dr Kalumanga Elikana, private sector engagement manager at RTI International said that the adoption of men and women in matters of climate change is usually different due the existing gender roles as shaped by norms, cultures and traditions.

“Given the predominance of women's engagement in climate sensitive sectors such as water, agriculture and energy, the gender impacts of climate change are already apparent and reported in many different parts of the country,” he said.

He explained that the most reported incidences include increased women's burden on household chores such as walking longer distances to fetch water due to drying of shallow wells and seasonal rivers and springs.

It was also described that increased farming tasks due to frequent droughts, and family healthcare due to increased diseases from climate related extreme weather events.

According to the National Climate Change Response Strategy 2021-2026, such factors have been reported to have increased health risks and affected welfare of women due to walking long distances to unsafe places to fetch water, increased duties for family care owing to men’s migration to urban areas in search of new jobs and income generating opportunities after abandoning traditional activities such as farming, fishing and livestock keeping.

According to the report, that in turn contributes to growing incidences of gender based violence.