BuaNews (Tshwane)
Zibonele Ntuli
20 June 2005
Pretoria — A three-day Women and the Environment Conference kicks off today with Environmental Affairs and Tourism Deputy Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi welcoming over 400 delegates in Johannesburg.
The conference is held under the theme "Celebrating the role of women in ensuring environmental integrity within the country" at a gala dinner tonight.
Departmental spokesperson Phindile Makwakwa said a number of high profile women including the South African NGO Coalition (Sangoco) President Marcia Manong, founder of the Foundation for Community Development and former First Lady Graca Machel and Lesotho Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Lebohang Ntsinyie are set to participate in the conference.
Endorsing the idea of a women and the environment conference, Ms Manong said South Africa was at a critical point of no return in the global development agenda.
"The role of women in environmental affairs is as much an issue as their contribution in economic empowerment and global development," said Manong.
She said she was concerned that although there was some marked recognition of the importance of the role of women at a global and national level, there was still a need for a concerted effort to give women space in key policy and decision making processes.
"We must understand that this is the first environmental conference in South Africa to deal directly with issues of women empowerment," said Ms Manong.
Meanwhile she praised the contribution of the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Kenyan Professor Wangari Maathai and encouraged women to take note of "her immense and selfless commitment to the noble cause of environmental protection."
"Ms Maathai is outspoken, brave and has a heart and commitment of a true citizen of the world", she said, adding: "We would like to take this opportunity through this conference to make the point about the value and extent of women's contribution to sustainable development."
Ms Manong said it was appropriate that the conference was held while South Africa matured into democracy.
"This country has a rich and wonderful history of the role women have played in bringing down the crime of apartheid and the democratic dispensation is proving to be another great opportunity for our women to make their voices heard through action," she said.
She called on other influential women organisations and the civil society to come and celebrate the achievements of South African women in environment and to gear up for the challenges lying ahead.
Topics on the agenda include women as partners in the delivery of environmental management, environmental challenges facing women in Africa and women in environmental leadership within government.
Roundtable discussions will evolve around contribution of biodiversity to poverty eradication, empowering women to take action, the role of women in national policy-making, from a girl child to a woman in environmental leadership and decision making.
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