Submitted by Lisen
Interview with gender grant recipient Gulsan
Ara Parvin, made by Moushumi Chaudhury and edited by Lisen Stenberg
It is recognized that women are more
vulnerable to climate change, since their lives and livelihoods are dependent
on nature and agriculture. “Similar to other places in developing countries,
women in my study area have little understanding about climate change and its
induced impact on their lives and livelihood” explains Gulsan Parvin. She
conducts research in the Horikhali village in Paikgacha, Khulna in Bangladesh,
focusing on the role of microfinance institutions in enhancing food security in
a climate change context. “However” Gulsan continues, “climate change is
affecting coastal communities, as well as other manmade factors. This is
changing women’s livelihoods, increasing hardship in their daily life and
lowering food security.”
A number of microfinance institutions (MFI)
are trying to create alternative employment opportunities for women by
providing microcredit. “But”, says Gulsan, “Microfinance
institutions also have limited understanding about climate change and its
impact on women’s life. This is why there is a great need to conduct
research on gender and climate change issues focusing on how institutional
efforts, such as microfinance, can help women adapt to impacts of climate
change”.
Different
roles and responsibilities means different impact of climate change
Regarding existing gender differences and
roles and responsibilities of women and men in this specific geographical
location, Gulsan explains that they are distinct. “In Bangladesh, rural
women are responsible for household work, such as food preparation, water and
fuel collection, and taking care of the family. Additionally, most poor women
need to also earn an income through shrimp fry collection from rivers and
estuaries, cleaning weeds from shrimp farms and earth work related to shrimp
farming (gher)”. She continues: “Men are mainly engaged in fishing,
shrimp field preparation, shrimp farming, van and rickshaw pulling, and working
as day labors in nearby towns”.
Shrimp culture and climate change impacts
(e.g. salinity intrusion and the impact of Cyclone Aila) have negatively
affected the livelihood of the poor, especially that of poor, rural women.
Their daily labor and hardship has been severely increased. “Agricultural
activities have been almost demolished in the study area due to salinity
intrusion. Rice production decreased two to three times, and green spaces and
vegetation decreased significantly” says Gulsan. These changes are
predicted to continue due to climate change. Consequently, women’s food
security will be threatened more than men since women’s prime income earning
activities based on shrimp collection will be harder due to climate change as
fish and shrimp fry habitats are destroyed due to increase in salinity with sea
level rise. Gulsan adds: “Compared with men, women have fewer opportunities
to search for alternative livelihoods to cope or adapt to climate change”.
Addressing
gender gaps in relation to climate change and food security
Gulsan Parvin’s research aims to examine the
role of MFIs to enhance food security of women in the context of climate
change. It also intends suggest policies to redesign effective MFIs. Initial
findings reveal that the MFIs working in the study areas are doing almost
nothing to address climate change and enhance food security of the women. “Instead”, Gulsan
explains, “most micro finance recipients mention increase in their debts,
hardship, and food insecurity, especially after cyclone Aila in 2009 when
situation became severe”. Currently MFIs are not tackling these issues. In this
context this research will identify not only the challenges that women face,
but also identify the role of MFIs to addresses women’s hardship and food
insecurity. “Since MFIs target poor women, thorough investigation and
identification of problems and limitations of present MFIs policies are needed
to improve to find out how MFIs may be able to address women’s needs in
relation to the impact of climate change”. Eventually, this research would help
to enhance women’s alternative income opportunities and food security in the
context of climate change and thus decrease gender gaps.
Careful
question formulation is key
On the question of the kinds of challenges
Gulsan has faced during her research, she replies: “It is difficult to
differentiate the impact induced by climate change and the impact induced by
other factors. Women who are the target group of this research cannot clearly
make this distinction”. Since poor, rural people, especially women
who have little understanding about climate change, it is difficult and time
consuming to get their views about the impact of climate change in their lives,
daily labor and food security. Therefore, formulation of questionnaire
addressing gender and impact of climate change is complicated.
Getting the
message out to farmers and policy makers
Gulsan thinks it is important to build
perception and awareness related to climate change among the local community.
To build the sense of responsiveness to changes in the environment and
biodiversity, messages are needed to communicate to the both men and women in
the study area about these changes. “It is important to communicate to the
farmers -especially the shrimp farm owners- about the long term effect of
uncontrolled shrimp farming and conversion of agriculture fields to shrimp
farms. Female farmers need to be trained about the importance and ways of
homestead gardening, plantation and alternative income generating activities
for their food security beyond shrimp farming” explains Gulsan.
When it comes to policy makers, Gulsan
emphasizes that they need to address the problems, expectation and potentials
of local communities, especially that of women. They need to highlight the role
of MFI and their need to address climate change and food security when offering
loans to women. She concludes: “Policy makers should also highlight the
need to create a balance between agriculture and shrimp farming, and
to evaluate the role of these two activities in climate change adaption and
environmental protection”.
Learn more about Gulsan Parvin's research by
downloading her technical progress report (PDF).
This story is based on an interview between
gender grant recipient Gulsan Parvin and Moushumi Chaudhury, Science
Officer Theme 4.1 Linking Knowledge with Action. The story was edited by Lisen
Stenberg.
Original article Here
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