Involve more Women in Climatic Change Process - Abantu for Dev.

Bolgatanga, Nov.14, GNA- Groups involved in climate change and Disaster Risk Reduction strategies have been asked to involve more women in their work since they bear the consequences of disasters most. If women were well informed about causes and the state of their vulnerabilities and the need for disaster risk reduction, they would be well positioned to reduce disaster effects and the ramifications of climatic change.

Mr. Folley Jaleiba, a representative of Abantu for Development,a non-governmental organization and a regional women rights advocacy group working to address gender inequalities and to promote transformational leadership and development for a just society, made the call at a one day workshop held in Bolgatanga on Friday. He explained that women were the most vulnerable to environmental changes or emergencies and they suffered a lot with their children when disaster strikes.

When it comes to prolonged drought periods or flood which usually result in the shortage of food and fuel wood, it is mostly the woman who spend most of her time roaming the patched or soggy fields looking for the necessities of life for the sustenance of the family. He said women were the main agents of socialization as they live to nurture and nourish children hence it was very important for them to be educated on disaster risk reduction so that their knowledge on disaster management in the long run would be passed on to the younger generation.

Mr. Harry Epsona Ayamga , Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive , commended the organizers of the programme and said since Ghana was part of the world community , it was only reasonable for it join global debates and knowledge gathering in order to prepare towards any eventuality. He therefore stressed the need for more NGOs and other organizations working in the area of climatic change and DRR Management to do more sensitization in communities to discourage them from engaging in acts that were likely to create or aggravate the effects of disasters. He reiterated the need for more women to be robed into the management of disaster issues and said:" there should be gender mainstreaming at all policy levels, project and programme implantation, and monitoring not only on disaster Management issues but on all issues related to development". According to Mr. Ayamga, Government recognized the contribution of of women to national development hence the offer of a lot of public positions to women and urged them be more assertive and bold to get involved in politics and other related development issues.

Mr. Patrick Akake, Upper East Regional Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), mentioned among other things, weaknesses in political commitment and institutional development, risk identification and assessment, knowledge management, risk management application and instrument and preparedness and emergency Management as some of the challenges facing disaster management and reduction.

Mr. Akake said in view of the problems, government had already started building the capacities of all regions to mainstream Disaster Risk Reduction into their Development Agenda. He said the Upper East Region launched its Regional Disaster Platform in October 2009 and said apart from that NADMO in the region through the support of some collaborators including Action Aid Ghana had drawn up a Regional Disaster Preparedness Plan to serve as a guide in relation to disaster reduction and management.

He said AAG, through the Regional NADMO Office had implemented a "Disaster Reduction Project through Schools" in four Districts of the Upper East Region and also provided funds for radio discussions on disaster in all the major languages in the Region.

The workshop which was on the theme" Promoting Gender Responsiveness in Disaster Risk Management/Reduction", organized by Abantu for Development and NADMO brought together women's groups, personnel from the security services, community base organizations, NGOS, and other Disaster Management providers. Participants at the workshop were taken through gender concerns and needs in disaster risk reduction, how to develop their capacity building to address gender issues in disaster risk reduction among others. 15 Nov.09