Women must take a leading role in climate change mitigation and adaptation as the world prepares for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held in Belem, Brazil, in November, a preparatory meeting in Harare heard yesterday.
The Gender and Climate Change preparatory meeting was held at a venue in Avondale, where delegates stressed the need to place women at the centre of climate action and policy.
Chief Director for Gender and Women Affairs in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Lilian Takaendesa, said COP30 presented a vital opportunity to translate the lived experiences of women into urgent and practical climate responses.
“Climate action, when taken with a gender lens, can serve as a powerful engine for inclusive growth, improving livelihoods, health, and poverty reduction.
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"The goal is to shift from recognising women’s vulnerability to actively integrating their leadership and solutions to build resilience and achieve a just and equitable climate future,” she said.
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Gender member Prisca Mupfumira said women were among the hardest hit by climate shocks as they relied on climate-sensitive livelihoods.
“Many women rely primarily on climate-sensitive livelihoods, such as small-scale farming and manual labour.
"This makes them highly exposed to the impacts of extreme weather events such as recurring droughts and floods, which damage crops and kill livestock upon which their livelihoods depend.
"Government has made significant progress in ensuring women are protected from climate change through borehole drilling programmes and the Pfumvudza/Intwasa climate-proof agriculture initiative, all aimed at making their lives easier,” she said.
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