Connection between women and environmental sustainability

Girls’ Globe has as its mission to raise awareness and educate others about global issues concerning the rights, health, and empowerment of women and girls.

For them the answer to what exactly is the connection between women and environmental sustainability is quite simple, but maybe not so obvious.

Women give birth to children, the world’s population is growing rapidly and the human race is fast leading to potentially devastating environmental consequences. The connection between women and environmental sustainability lies in the fact that if we’re overpopulating our planet and women are having more children than they are prepared for, these factors will have serious long-term environmental impact. The good news is that the situation can be remedied in large part by education, access to birth control and the empowerment of women to make their own family planning choices.

The Swedish non-profit organization does find that all women and girls should be free to live to their full potential, free from all forms of violence and discrimination. All women and girls should have access to their human rights, including access to health, education and justice.

Often the right to decide over their own body is not given to the women.

Women don’t just raise, educate and teach habits to children; they raise, educate and teach habits to the next generation who will inherit and be responsible for this planet. As Suzanne Ehlers from Population Action International said at the Post-2015 Agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals, and FP2020 meeting, hosted by the Wilson Center Environmental Change and Security Program, Center for Environment and Population (CEP), the Sierra Club Global Population and Environment Program and the Aspen Institute’s Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health, climate justice frameworks will not work without women.

Nicholas Pileggi and Nora Ephron at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 1996, Nora Ephron, known for her wit, humour and candor regarding womanhood, gave a commencement speech to the Wellesly graduating class which emphasized the importance women have in defining not only their own lives, but those of the girls following behind them.

Don’t underestimate how much antagonism there is toward women and how many people wish we could turn the clock back. One of the things people always say to you if you get upset is, don’t take it personally, but listen hard to what’s going on and, please, I beg you, take it personally. Understand: every attack on Hillary Clinton for not knowing her place is an attack on you. Underneath almost all those attacks are the words: get back, get back to where you once belonged. When Elizabeth Dole pretends that she isn’t serious about her career, that is an attack on you. The acquittal of O.J. Simpson is an attack on you. Any move to limit abortion rights is an attack on you — whether or not you believe in abortion. The fact that Clarence Thomas is sitting on the Supreme Court today is an attack on you.

According to the Girl’s Globe Ephron’s ability to admit the obstacles we still face is both refreshing and intimidating.

The idea that we have not yet achieved quality, after so much time and effort, is an uncomfortable one, especially when it is possible to trick ourselves into the illusion of equality through the progress some countries have made.

Girls’ Globe supports and will continually promote the equal rights of all human beings, as listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Girls’ Globe is also a strong supporter of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

Gendercide is still commonplace, rape victims are still blamed for their assaults, young girls are still denied an education and sexual slavery is increasing, not decreasing, we still have a very long way to go to have the women placed on equal lines with men.

Girls’ Globe would like to see that women will be educated on sustainable alternatives to current environmentally unfriendly practices and provide an alternative and educate and empower women on family planning so they can educate their communities and become empowered in their everyday lives.

Environmental sustainability must be framed from a justice and rights-based approach backed up with accountability that has teeth. Health, including reproductive health and environmental health, must be considered basic human rights for all, including women and the future generations.

The panel from the Women Delivering Development Meeting from left to right: Sean Peoples, documentary director; Kim Lovell, Sierra club Global Population and Environment Program; Mary Mavanza, Jane Goodall Institute; Suzanne Ehlers, FP2020 and Population Action International; D. Carmen Barroso, International Planned Parenthood Federation; and moderator Vicy Markham of the Center for Environment and Population.

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Please do find:

Women Delivering Development: Reproductive Health, Environment and the Post-2015 Agenda

Gender equality and women’s rights in the post-2015 agenda

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Women’s Equality Day – celebrating women’s right to vote (Photo credit: Fort Wainwright Public Affairs Office)

 

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