Jagaran News
Women’s Tribunal on “Climate Change and Its Impact on Women” Held22 November, 2009:
Women’s Tribunal on “Climate Change and Its Impact on Women” was organized amidst the presence of Chairperson of Constituent Assembly (CA) Subas Nembang as chief guest and Deepak Bohara, Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation and Thakur Sharma, Minister for Environment as special guests along with President of Federation of Nepalese Journalists Dharmendra Jha, Chairperson of National Women’s Commission Nainkala Thapa accompanying policy makers, secretaries, government officials, food specialist, environmentalists, civil society senior leaders, human rights-women rights activists, journalists and women group representing from more than 45 districts of the Nepal as guests. In the presence of huge mass, the program was organized by Jagaran Nepal on November 19, 2009 with the support of co-organizers- Women in Climate Change Justice (WOCJA) and Global GCAP Ftp.
Climate change and its direct impact on agriculture production, health, water cycle, bio-diversity and their overall implications to women were discussed rigorously in the tribunal. Chairperson of CA Subas Nembang praised the 
program as an important campaign and made assured to be there with the initiative. He expressed that the tribunal will put forward the meaningful outputs with determination of the role of stakeholders. He said “The impact of climate change has already come across and it has brought pathetic situation either, so women should be more aware on it and appropriate and environment friendly plan of actions are to be made to reduce the impact of climate change”. He wished that the recommendations drawn by this tribunal will be meaningful to mitigate the impacts of climate change on women and to draw the attention of all stakeholders.
At the program, Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Deepak Bohara said that the snow and glaciers of Himalayas and mountains are being melting and creating show-ponds, some of the ponds are in critical stage due to the impact of climate change. “This melt water will contribute to the faster development of glacier lakes, and this will lead to increased potential for Glacier Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) hazards causing negative impacts to the livelihood of people of mountain range especially women”, he made alert. He said that climate change is the result of human’s exploitation to nature and environment and its repercussion will have to bear first by the countries like us, so we all should work together against the negative impact of climate change.
Minister for Environment Thakur Sharma said that the impact of climate change is worldwide and to mitigate its impact ministry of environment has given emphasis to the alternative energy. “If we cannot track-out the environment in right direction accidents will definitely occur so we must focus on awareness based program along with curricular development in the text books of school.
At the program, Chairperson of National Women’s Commission Nainkala Thapa said that women should be aware and investment should be made on education to mitigate the impact of climate change.
Dharmendra Jha, President of Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) suggested to initiating such programs at grassroots level and media should be mobilized for massive awareness on it. He requested to women group for being initiators in the conservation of environment at the program.
At the program, food specialist Dr. Sarbaraj Khadka summarized the major issues raised in the tribunal as excessive workload of women, food deficit, domestic violence against women and the concerned national and international authorities are not more sensitive towards the issue of climate change and its impact on women in making plan of action to mitigate its impact. “Climate change has now come as a violator of human rights thus to mitigate its impact on women and all citizens, strategic and adoptable plan of actions should be formulated at national and international levels and to protect the rights of women is the duty and responsibility of state indeed”, he concluded.
There was regional representation in the tribunal. Sapana Bhandari, Kailali, Karishma Budha, Jajarkot, Laxmi B.K, Dailekh, Parbati Devi Oru, Sunsari raised their respective regions’ issues regarding climate change and its impact on women in the tribunal. They raised the issues like lack of nutrition and its impact on women’s health, floods and landslides and its impact on agriculture production and women itself, food deficit and its impact on women and the role of state on such circumstances meticulously.
At the program, Secretary of Ministry of Environment Meera Khanal and Secretary of Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare Brinda Hada delivered their speeches on climate change and its impact on women. Similarly, Krishna Prasad Acharya from Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation presented a paper on Climate Change and its Impact on Women.
Briefing about the importance and objectives of program, Jagaran Nepal President Sharmila Karki said that women are more vulnerable to the impact of climate change thus the state should take special care to women’s health, awareness, nutrition and agriculture production. The program was conducted by FNJ member and senior journalist Yashoda Timsina.
Some Glimpses of the Program:
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