“Rural Women And Climate Change” - Catholic Women’s League

Catholic Women's League, Fiji - Community Workshops On
“Rural Women And Climate Change”

To Commemorate World Rural Women’s Day
13th – 15 October, 2011
Kalokolevu Village, Suva, Rewa

Statement

WE, the participants of the "Rural Women and Climate Change" workshops gathered together from villages and settlements semi urban communities along the Suva to Kalokolevu corridor reaffirm that our environment is linked to the health security, economic and food security as well as the safety and wellbeing of our communities and our nation as a whole.
Yet the ecological environment which has been bestowed to us through God’s mandate; “I am putting you in charge of all” (Genesis 1;29) which gifts stewardship to man and woman equally, continues to face degradation and destruction even though It should be protected by conservation laws and human rights commitments.

Violations Against Enviroment

We are concerned about the ongoing abuse and destruction of our natural environment including:

1. Deforestation

2. Destruction of our fishing grounds, coral reefs and mangroves

3. Air pollution from increasing smoke emissions

4. Soil pollution.

5. Industral pollution and littering of our waters and streams

We commit to the following strategy:

1. Reforestation, through “Mother’s Woods, a positive action to take against denudation due to indiscriminate logging practices;

2. Proper garbage disposal through Zero Waste programmes, clean and green community programmes and the likes

3. Good and safer water systems and facilities

4. Networking with Governments, NGOs, development partners and civil society groups.

5. Promote awareness activities with local communities and resource owners.
Reaffirming the commitments to gender equality and human security through CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for Action, and other global Plans of Action to environmental security and sustainability we reiterate that women must be equal partners in the planning and implementation of environment programmes and the Catholic Women’s League therefore also commits to:
- Joining the Government in its effort to plant a million trees;
- Working through our national network to assist families to enhance their understanding of environment and food security promote the use of available land to plant vegetables, medicinal herbs and fruit trees;
- Strengthen civil society and NGO partnerships to promote recycling household garbage into organic fertilizers and promote the "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" campaigns

ENDS

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