Paper/Proposal Title
Advancing Gender Justice in the Green Transition: Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change and Environmental Exploitation on Women and Children's Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa
Location
M2225
Start Date
11-2-2023 1:45 PM
End Date
11-2-2023 3:15 PM
Keywords
Gender justice, Climate change, Environmental exploitation, Women's rights, Children's rights, Sub-Saharan Africa, Colonialism, Decision-making processes
Abstract
The lack of access to clean cooking solutions and reliance on unsustainable biomass has resulted in environmental degradation, which disproportionately affects women and children. However, 75% of Nigeria’s population relies on solid fuel for their household cooking. Women are often tasked with collecting firewood and water, resulting in a significant burden on their time and exposing them to violence and injury.
This study adopts a mixed-method approach, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the impact of climate change and unsustainable energy use on women's rights in Nigeria. The research reveals that the gendered impact of climate change is influenced by colonial and neocolonial dynamics that lead to unequal access to resources and power, and the prioritization of corporate interests over human rights.
Furthermore, it identifies social, cultural, and political factors that contribute to the gendered impact of climate change and unsustainable energy use. The findings indicate that sustainable energy solutions can mitigate the impact of climate change on women's rights in Nigeria. However, these solutions must be culturally and socially appropriate to be effective. Therefore, community-based initiatives that empower women to participate in decision-making processes and advocate for their rights can be an effective strategy for promoting sustainable energy use and climate justice in Nigeria.
Thus, this paper highlights the need for more gender-sensitive and culturally appropriate approaches to sustainable development and climate justice initiatives in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. It underscores the importance of recognizing the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and children's rights and the need for collaborative efforts to address these challenges.
Author/Speaker Biographical Statement(s)
Victor Achem is a researcher and advanced doctoral candidate at the University of Ibadan, with a first and second Degree in Sociology from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and the University of Ibadan. He specializes in social research and data deconstruction, with a focus on informing policy and justifying intervention. Victor's research is focused on analyzing sustained conflict, renewed violence, victimization, and restorative justice. He has published several articles and book chapters on various topics, including mineral resources in Africa, herders-farmers clashes, terrorist groups in Africa, climate change adaptation, and xenophobia in 21st Century Africa. Victor has also won several research and travel grants, including the 2020 New-Med Research Network Youth Call 3rd edition from the ISTITUTO AFFAIRI in Rome, Italy. His recent publications include "#NigeriaMustFall: Exploring the contours of New media, Agenda Setting, and Communication Imperatives" in Interrogating Xenophobia and Nativism in 21st Century Africa and "Systemic Crisis of Infodemic in a Pandemic: COVID- 19, 5G Network, Society and Symbolic Interactionism" in the Journal of African Films and Diaspora Studies. Overall, Victor's research interests in conflict, victimization, and forced migration, particularly in the African geopolitical space, make him a valuable contributor to the field of human right.
Advancing Gender Justice in the Green Transition: Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change and Environmental Exploitation on Women and Children's Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa
M2225
The lack of access to clean cooking solutions and reliance on unsustainable biomass has resulted in environmental degradation, which disproportionately affects women and children. However, 75% of Nigeria’s population relies on solid fuel for their household cooking. Women are often tasked with collecting firewood and water, resulting in a significant burden on their time and exposing them to violence and injury.
This study adopts a mixed-method approach, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the impact of climate change and unsustainable energy use on women's rights in Nigeria. The research reveals that the gendered impact of climate change is influenced by colonial and neocolonial dynamics that lead to unequal access to resources and power, and the prioritization of corporate interests over human rights.
Furthermore, it identifies social, cultural, and political factors that contribute to the gendered impact of climate change and unsustainable energy use. The findings indicate that sustainable energy solutions can mitigate the impact of climate change on women's rights in Nigeria. However, these solutions must be culturally and socially appropriate to be effective. Therefore, community-based initiatives that empower women to participate in decision-making processes and advocate for their rights can be an effective strategy for promoting sustainable energy use and climate justice in Nigeria.
Thus, this paper highlights the need for more gender-sensitive and culturally appropriate approaches to sustainable development and climate justice initiatives in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. It underscores the importance of recognizing the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and children's rights and the need for collaborative efforts to address these challenges.
