Reflection

Madagascar is known for its exceptional biodiversity, home to species found nowhere else. However, the big island is very vulnerable to climate change; the local population is suffering from extreme weather events. The South of Madagascar is experiencing a drought that has become chronic, described by the World Food Program as the first famine crisis due to global warming. The Southeast is hit by violent tropical cyclones that devastate human lives and material goods. And other parts of the country, especially the center, are suffering from floods and landslides.

As one of the poorest countries in the world - with a poverty rate of 77.4% (World Bank, 2020), Madagascar has a low capacity to adapt to climate change. The country's economy is based mainly on agriculture, livestock and fishing. The daily survival of the country's inhabitants depends on the use of natural resources, practicing activities that are disrupted by climate change with modified cropping periods, coastal erosion and sea level rise. The impacts on health, such as the emergence of certain diseases, poorly managed migration, and insecurity in general are also intensifying.

Being a woman in the face of climate change

50.7% of Madagascar's population is made up of women, whose average age is 22.5 years. Moreover, 80.28% of these women live in rural areas[1].

The majority of girls and women live in a society where their conditions are very precarious, marked by inequalities in many areas, such as education, health, violence, the right to clean land, housing, and political and economic rights. Women are more likely to live in poverty, with less protected rights, and are disproportionately affected by extreme weather events (drought, floods, cyclones, etc.).

According to the United Nations, women are fourteen times more likely to die in natural disasters than men.

Living in a household or abandoned, the female gender is the one who is responsible for the tasks of drawing water, collecting and breaking firewood, producing food, taking care of agriculture and small livestock and also manual tasks that require time and strength.

With the deterioration of natural resources and the loss of biodiversity due to climate change, they are the first to feel the pressure. They spend much more time on their daily activities, such as walking longer distances to fetch water, but they also have less access to basic services such as health services, including care during pregnancy and childbirth. This situation is a burden that does not allow them to develop intellectually or undertake income-generating activities.

In addition, although they are in charge of the supply of natural resources, women are very limited in their power to dispose of assets, to make decisions regarding the management of these assets, to mobilize more freely since they are in charge of several children, or to access bank loans. This reduces their ability to cope with climate change. Deplorable conditions that further encourage several types of violence, both moral and physical, such as rape, forced marriages, sexual intimidation.

Promoting gender equality for a more sustainable environment

Being at the center of the management of natural resources, women are not only victims, they can act for the safeguard of the Common House, and be indispensable actors of climate change. It is inconceivable to talk about sustainable development in Madagascar without including half of the Malagasy population.

Women must be at the forefront of solutions to climate problems whether at the international, national or local level. Projects related to climate change must consider the gender dimension and integrate women in the decision-making process on the search for solutions.

The study conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado, Boulder (2019) concluded that better integration of women into environmental decision-making bodies leads to better environmental decisions and better environmental protection.

To do this, we should first focus on better gender equality. Recognizing women's rights and giving them the same opportunities leads to a more equitable world. This means giving women the space to take responsibility for protecting the environment and adapting to climate change.

Given their daily roles in society, women have traditional skills and knowledge in food, energy and waste management that could be used for climate action. They must seek quick and practical solutions to survive and provide for the family in the event of natural disasters.

Building resilience to climate change, CA MDG project

The Centre Arrupe Madagascar (CA MDG), a Jesuit training and research center and coordinator of the Social and Ecological Apostolate, is engaged in environmental protection activities through its LIFEE (Life and Environmental Education) project in partnership with Jesuit Mission of the United Kingdom, and its climate change resilience project in southern Madagascar with Missio Austria.

With the goals of improving the environment and building resilience to climate change through sustainability practices and green entrepreneurial activities, CA MDG’s activities are equally committed to gender equality. The Center recognizes the skills of young women in environmental conservation and ensures their effective participation in this field.

To this end, the Center works with associations and organizations that are already engaged or want to engage in environmental activities, building their knowledge and skills, and providing practical guidance for these activities based on expert research and advocacy for the environment. An example is the Catholic Girl Scout Association, Fanilon'i Madagasikara, which is involved in environmental education for girls, and in awareness and community activities aimed at protecting the environment. This association creates life-changing programs that address the priorities of girls and young women, such as understanding how they can take action for the environment. Their plastic-free education program is one of the ways they encourage girls and women to switch from plastic to canvas bags, for example, and educate the entire community to reduce their use of plastic.

While there is increasing talk of gender equality, progress in positive change is slowing. Every moment should be taken as an opportunity to advance the effectiveness of gender equality, whether it is International Women's Day on March 8 or a month or three months later.

The fight against climate change, which requires the participation of women for sustainable development, is also an opportunity to promote gender equality.

[1]Résultats Globaux du Recensement Général de la Population et de l’Habitation de 2018 de Madagascar