Women Empowerment for Biodiversity Conservation

1
Women Empowermentfor Biodiversity Conservation

• Compiled and presented by
• Nopasika Malta Qwathekana

2
Human impact on the environment

• Natural causes
• Global climate change and its consequences
• Aware! or not aware?
• Change in attitudes!
• Is it possible to minimise, reverse and
  completely undo the damage?

3
Conservation of biodiversity not for the sake of
biodiversity

• Impact of climate change on human lives
• Impact of deforestation on human lives
• Loss of rivers
• Loss of plants of medicinal value
• We actually miss the extinct species (aesthetic
  value of nature)
• Funny weather conditions and shift in seasons

4
The role of women in society

• Bringing up children
• Cultivating mealie-fields
• Feeding the family (both housewives and working
  class)
• Use of plants of medicinal value
• Collecting fire wood

5
Women Empowerment for Biodiversity Conservation

• Women in formal education
• In-service training
• Teacher professional development workshops
  linking biodiversity conservation to learning
  areas
• Women in communities
• Training children
• Sustainable utilization
• Food security concerns

6
Capacity building and unlocking of economic
opportunities

• Formal training
• Horticultural training
• Biodiversity related qualifications
• Access to information
• Economic opportunities
• Linking training with related economic
  opportunities
• Partnership building with other development
  practitioners
• Integration and co-operation with programmes run
  by other institutions

7
Career guidance and education opportunities

• Potential in short course participants
• Exit to further training
• Develop passion for the nature
• Channeled to training and activities in the
  biodiversity management sector
• Educate a woman-Educate the nation

8
Indigenous knowledge and biodiversity
Conservation

• Scientific knowledge is superior and modern!
• Indigenous knowledge is inferior and outdated!
• Integration
• The place of a woman is in the kitchen!
• Education role
• Sustainable harvesting
• Inorganic farming
• Protecting wetlands, etc

9
Women are closer to nature and hence key
custodians!

• Wathintabafazi!!!