Representatives of the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women (ATFD) on Friday stressed the need to mainstream the fight against gender-based discrimination due to climate change into public policies and national movements.
At a round table held in Tunis under the theme “The intersection of the patriarchal capitalist system and the absence of climate justice… How to preserve women’s rights,” the participants emphasised the impact of climate change on women in Tunisia, who are more exposed to the risks, given their precarious socio-economic situation and the prevalence of patriarchal mentalities.
They also underlined the need to enhance women’s rights in all fields in order to put an end to discrimination and achieve equality and environmental justice.
They also called for major reforms in the agricultural sector and for programmes to empower women and create sources of income.
In this connection, Coordinator of ATFD’s Socio-Economic and Cultural Rights Committee Raja Dahmani pointed to the need to su
pport the efforts of civil society organisations to combat climate change, proposing that the procedures for granting credit be facilitated for women carrying out environmentally-friendly projects.
Despite the existence of a legal framework to protect women’s rights, she argued, the reality is still different, with the majority of women working in precarious conditions and falling victim to the prevailing patriarchal mentality.
Dahmani said that discrimination in wages and working hours in the informal sectors exacerbates the impact of climate change on their mental and physical health.
For her part, ATFD President Neila Zoghlami indicated that around 70% of the world’s women live in extreme poverty, and 40% of them take care of the poorest families in urban areas.
Furthermore, as a result of climate change, 80% of migrants are women, which exposes them to all forms of violence.
She pointed out that climate change had prevented nearly 4 million girls in low- and middle-income countries from finishing sch
ool by 2021, and that this figure would rise to around 5 million by 2025.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse