BuaNews (Tshwane)
Zibonele Ntuli
7 March 2005
Pretoria — Environmental Affairs and Tourism Deputy Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi has urged women to take charge of the environment in efforts to deal with desertification.
Speaking at a gala dinner to kick-start the first annual Women and the Environment Conference in Johannesburg last night, she said women should do something concrete to address challenges facing the environment.
At the three-day conference themed "Celebrating the role of women in ensuring environmental integrity within the country" hundreds of women from across Africa will be discussing among other things their role in restoring sustainable livelihoods through the proper management of environmental resources.
They will also be discussing biodiversity management, poverty eradication, challenges faced by women in maintaining quality of life in conditions of inadequate shelter and lack of access to water and sanitation.
"As women we have challenges economically, politically and we face so many obstacles. We are the ones who collect water and firewood. We also know better than men about the environment.
"If we don't come together as women it will take us centuries to heal the environment. Gender equality is vital in the eradication of poverty. We have to stand up and say what we want to say about the situation," said Ms Mabudafhasi.
She added that indigenous knowledge about the environment should be part of the agenda and it should be acknowledged that many islands survived the tsunami disaster.
Lesotho's minister of tourism, culture and environment Lebohang Ntsinyie will deliver a keynote address on women and the environment in Africa at the conference today.
Ms Mabudafhasi said the concept of the conference would roll out to all African sub-regions adding that it would later be launched in Africa.
Other key speakers include Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister Thoko Didiza and South African NGO Coalition (Sangoco) Chairperson Marcia Manong.
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