UN Women, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Sweden, represented by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), have now renewed their commitment to building women’s resilience to disasters and climate change in the Asia-Pacific region.
Parimita Mohanty March 12, 2021 09:26
By now, most countries in Asia and the Pacific have proposed some sort of post-pandemic recovery package. Many include investments in sustainability, which the United Nations has repeatedly urged governments to undertake. Some plans currently include only budget totals, with policymakers yet to allocate the spending.
Regardless of their current level of detail, all of the region’s recovery programs omit a key demographic: rural women. Unless governments quickly bring a gender perspective to their spending priorities, this large and vital group will be left behind, and the economic impact of official programs will fall short of their potential.
The post-pandemic recovery packages so far proposed by Asia-Pacific governments invariably omit a key demographic: rural women. Unless policymakers quickly apply a gender perspective to their spending priorities, this large and vital group will be left behind, and the economic impact of official programs will fall short of potential.
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Two crossed lines that form an X . It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification. Annette Wallgren is program management officer of gender and climate change at the Asia and the Pacific office for the UN Environment Program (UNEP) UNEP
Annette Wallgren is program management officer of gender and climate change at the Asia and the Pacific office for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP has been working in the region to improve access to renewable energy as a way to tackle poverty and gender inequality
The program aims to bring more women into the decision-making process when it comes to the economic benefits of renewable energy
Solar power charges pandemic recovery for indigenous farmers in Viet Nam
REUTERS/Carlos Barria / 22 Jan 2021
Overcoming adversity has long been the stock in trade of Do Thi Phuong, a 42-year-old mother of two living in a small village in Viet Nam’s lush Lao Cai province. As the primary breadwinner in her family of six, Phuong is accustomed to being a rock for her family in hard times. Years ago, landslides wiped out all but four out of 42 household rice fields in the village, yet Phuong managed to provide.
But COVID-19 has tested her resolve like nothing else.
Phuong’s village has traditionally been home to indigenous groups that farm the land. Many in the community raise chicken and pigs - each household maintains between 1,000-5,000 chickens, from which they derive their primary income.