Mkpat Enin Women Trained on Involvement in Environmental Conservation, Climate Justice
Imó Etim
Nkori Rural Women and Development Initiative, a non-governmental organization with a mission to empower marginalized women in the Niger Delta has trained women in oil and gas community of Mkpat Enin local government area of Akwa Ibom State on women inclusiveness in environmental conservation and climate Justice.
The training which took place on Thursday in Ikot Akpan Okop LGA with support from Global Greengrants Fund and Oilwatch was tagged ” Environmental Conservation and Climate Justice: Women Involvement in Decision Making “.
According to the Coordinator of Nkori Rural Women and Development Initiative (NRWDI), Okoho Ene, the training seeks to empower the women with necessary skills on how to engage stakeholders to be part of decision making towards environmental conservation and climate Justice.
Ene said the training was focused on training the women which she said are often overlooked on environmental issues on the need for increased awareness on climate change, its impacts and how to seek responsive, equitable and inclusive policies for climate Justice.
The Coordinator charged women to cascade the learning to the larger society for efforts that will promote practices which will contribute to environmental conservation and climate justice and stop negative practices that accelerate climate change.
In her presentation on ” The Role of Women in Environmental Conservation and Climate Justice”, the Director, Climate Change, Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment and Solid Mineral, Mrs. Ini Umoh noted that with the increasing effect of climate change in the country especially through recent flooding, it was urgent for the citizens including women who bear the brunt the most to be more interested in practices that will mitigate climate change.
She noted that to conserve the environment and ensure climate Justice in their day to day activities, women must report vandalisation of oil facilities, report oil spills and also push against the flaring of gas in their domain.
While highlighting the dangers of gas flaring on women’s health, she called on the women to lead the campaign for the implementation of gas flaring elimination plan as provided for in section 108 of the Petroleum Industry Act.
On her part, one of the Resource Persons, Ruth Edet charged women to prepare themselves to influence decisions by encouraging girl child education.
She said when women become interested and expose themselves to seminars, conferences and researches, it equips them with adequate knowledge on environmental conservation and climate Justice.
In her reaction, one of the participants, Loveday Jameson assured that the women will not only take that knowledge gained from the training back to the communities but will also deploy the use of women organisation they belong to in order to amplify the conversation and create more awareness on environmental conservation and climate Justice in their communities.