As a teenager in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Beatrice Rukanyanga regularly collected firewood and water from forests and wells near her home in a small village in western Uganda. However, as the years passed and the population grew, the forests shrank, and the water levels in the wells dropped. By the 2000s, gathering firewood and water had become onerous tasks for her.
“The distances I travelled alongside my siblings to collect firewood and water gradually increased as the nearby sources were either no more or did not provide enough firewood and water for our family and neighbours,” Rukanyanga explained. “Some men gradually started collecting water and selling it, and they have never stopped. It is big business now.”
It was the devastating effects of the degradation of natural resources that she had witnessed first-hand as a teenager that partly encouraged her to become involved in local politics. As a councilor of the Hoima district local government council from 2006 to 2011 and the deputy speaker for the Hoima municipal council between 2016 and 2021, she led a campaign against the construction of buildings on wetlands in Hoima town and advocated for the strict enforcement of laws to stop this practice.
Seventeen years ago, she founded a self-help women’s organization which has since produced several grassroots women environmental protection champions. The organization has also distributed indigenous tree seedlings to local farmers free of charge.
“I supply indigenous trees because we women know that these trees have traditionally kept our soils and the environment generally healthy,” Rukanyanga commented. “As a woman, I am keen to keep the environment healthy because I have the responsibility of caring for my family and that means ensuring there is food and water.”
Her work highlights that having women involved in decision-making positions at any level is vital to the success of global environmental conservation and climate change mitigation efforts. This view is also supported by a recent study showing that the presence of women in decision-making roles leads to better policies and actions to protect the climate. Similarly, a 2021 survey involving several countries showed that female representation in national parliaments led to stronger climate change policies that resulted in lower carbon emissions.
Sarah Natumanya, a gender and women’s human rights specialist, explains this is because women better appreciate the environment as the source of livelihood for mankind more than men do.
“As such, women are more interested in keeping the environment healthy, while men might be interested in what they can get from the environment,” she stated. “That is why it is important to improve opportunities for women to contribute to decision-making in climate talks.”
Furthermore, a study by Pew Research Center, an international think tank, found that more women than men in several countries were likely to see climate change as a serious threat, while another study involving over 17,000 households in nine countries – Belgium, Canada, Israel, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA – shows that women engage in energy conservation behaviours more so than men.
Geoffrey Kamese, who leads a Ugandan-based environmental organization, Bio Vision Africa, states that women interact with the environment more than men and tend to be more aware of the implications of their actions on nature. He added that the ‘rational’ thinking that women bring to climate protection and politics has significant benefits for the planet.
“When it comes to electing leaders, it has been observed that women tend to be issue-focused,” Kamese declared. “They want to choose someone who will represent their issues. So, having more women with decision-making powers at climate negotiation tables can result in more serious and genuine climate actions.”
Peruth Atukwatse, who leads gender programs at the African Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability, an environmental organization in Uganda, explained that women’s approach to conservation is informed by their interaction with nature. For instance, women produce between 60% and 80% of food in most developing countries and are responsible for half of the world’s food production.
“In many parts of the world, women, regardless of their status, bear the responsibility of taking care of the family and that means ensuring there is enough food and water for everyone in the family,” Atukwatse stated. “Having women in decision-making bodies produces many benefits for climate action because women approach climate from the angle of nature as a source of life.”
However, women are not only champions of climate protection in politics and households, but also in civil society and corporate environments. Studies show that the presence of women on corporate boards is linked to better environmental performance and responsible business practices although women only start to make a difference when they occupy at least 30% of board seats. Yet almost 30% of global companies have only between 1% and 10% of women in their boardrooms. One study found that including women in natural resource management through civil society and community initiatives can result in better conservation outcomes.
While the contributions that women are making to global climate protection efforts through households, communities, businesses, politics, and civil society are being documented, they are still underrepresented in decision-making positions across these areas globally but women and girls experience the greatest impacts of climate change. The participation of women in international negotiations such as climate talks broadens the scope of the issues discussed and encourages parties to reach agreements.
“Climate negotiations are usually led by ministers and top officials from various countries, and having women at the negotiation table matters,” Rukanyanga commented. “I attended COP21 in Paris and women’s representation was low. Women’s representation at COP29 in Baku is low. The world is missing out on the unique perspectives and insights from women.”
