AMMAN
— The "Women in Climate Action Conference" commenced Wednesday,
organized by the Sustainable Environmental Values Foundation and the Forum of
Federations, with the support of the Canadian government. The conference aims
to explore ways to enhance and empower the role of women in climate change
policies, legislation, laws, and programs.
اضافة اعلان
The
conference delved into the risks and challenges of climate action in Jordan,
the government's role in empowering women in climate change policies, and the
involvement of various institutions like the Ministry of Water, the Jordan
Valley Authority, and the Amman Municipality in empowering women to combat
climate change. Additionally, discussions centered on the role of the National
Committee for Women's Affairs in supporting and empowering women in climate
action and environmental policies.
Bakr
Balawneh, Assistant Secretary-General of the Ministry of Agriculture,
highlighted the pivotal role of the agriculture sector in Jordan's economy. He
emphasized that while agriculture contributes significantly to economic
activity, accounting for 15 to 20 percent of it, it only represents 5.6 percent
of the country's Gross Domestic Product. Notably, over 15 percent of Jordan's
active population is employed in agriculture, with 52 percent of them being
women residing in rural areas.
Balawneh
underscored the impact of regional and global crises, such as the COVID-19
pandemic, climate change resulting from global warming, and regional conflicts,
on Jordan. He emphasized the crucial role of women in the agricultural sector
and food security, especially amidst these challenges.
Doaa
Dirbani, Director of Programs at the Sustainable Environmental Values
Foundation, highlighted Jordan's pioneering efforts in integrating gender into
national policies to combat climate change. She emphasized Jordan's commitment
to achieving gender equality, particularly in the context of the Sustainable
Development Goals.
Dirbani
emphasized the increasing importance of women in leading sustainable solutions
and building resilience against climate change. She noted that women in rural
areas are at the forefront of implementing sustainable agricultural practices,
employing traditional knowledge and innovative techniques to mitigate climate
change's impact on crops and livestock.
Rupak
Chattopadhyay, President and CEO of the Forum of Federations, emphasized the
project's goal of empowering women and enhancing their leadership roles. He
outlined the organization's comprehensive projects across Jordan, Tunisia, and
Morocco aimed at empowering women politically, socially, and culturally, while
also combating climate change.
Women’s empowerment
Ahmed
Qatarneh, Director of the Women in Climate Action Project at the Sustainable
Development Environmental Values Foundation, emphasized women's vital role in
confronting climate change in Jordan, stressing the necessity of gender
equality and women's empowerment for achieving sustainable development and
addressing climate change challenges.
Qatarneh
highlighted Jordan's progress in policy-making, citing initiatives like the
National Plan to Achieve Gender Equality. He commended women's organizations in
Jordan for their advocacy efforts and underscored women's significant
contributions to mitigating and adapting to climate change.
Moreover,
Qatarneh highlighted women's increasing role in the green economy sector,
particularly in sustainable businesses such as eco-tourism, organic
agriculture, and recycling, contributing significantly to climate change
mitigation and adaptation.
According
to the Ministry of Agriculture, women's participation in training and
qualification programs in the agricultural extension sector stands at 60
percent, with over 2,000 women participating in various programs. Additionally,
women entrepreneurs constitute approximately 24 percent of the beneficiaries in
the innovation incubator of the National Center for Agricultural Research.