Women’s rights essential to reduce poverty in rural Asia
Laura Bridgestock
WVoN co-editor
A report published by the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) shows the full extent of the damage caused to entire societies and to the environment, when women are marginalized and disempowered.
In particular, the report focuses on women in rural parts of Asia.
It argues that the lack of progress on women’s rights in many parts of the region is leading communities deeper into poverty, and exacerbating the harmful effects of climate change.
RRI summarizes the research as showing that: “despite more understanding, more resources, and policy recommendations, women continue to be largely marginalized and ignored or exploited in resource management processes throughout Asia – to the detriment of global climate and poverty reduction goals.”
Susan Assifah, a Kuala Lumpur-based researcher who is also exploring the relationship between women’s rights and environmental issues, said:
“We have long thought of women as keys to building societies, but in Asia the idea that women can be movers in the economic and environment realm has to be the biggest thing gained from this report.”
Meanwhile Cécile Ndjebet, president of the African Women’s Network for Community Management of Forests, commented:
“If women are left out of the land rights equation, we will see a drastic drop in agricultural production, leading to increasing food insecurity and potential famine.
“Poverty and displacement will increase, and we will see a drastic rise in conflicts over resource ownership and usage.”
The report identifies key areas of action necessary to break the ‘cycle of poverty’ into which many women are currently locked.
It highlights the importance of networks such as the Federation of Community Forest Users, Nepal (FECOFUN), which help to raise awareness and share information, while also calling upon other agencies – governmental and NGOs – to step up efforts at understanding and taking action on gender rights issues.
The full report is available here.
What I find difficult to understand is why there will invariably be those who are surprised by, or disbelieving of reports like this. We are talking about marginalizing, disempowering and exploiting approximately half of the human population. Of COURSE the negative consequences of that will ripple outwards, effecting everyone. When you effectively negate the efforts, intelligence and perspectives of half the population, it is like lobotomizing an entire hemisphere of your brain. To me, that seems like the most commonsense thing in the world, but it is also good to have studies like this “proving” it to ignorant misogynists who need the truth (and of course, an explanation of why it effects THEM as well) shoveled down their throats before they will do anything about it.
I think as a society we need to cease living in this delusional space, where we seem to believe that systemic oppression and exploitation is ALWAYS destructive, not just to the oppressed, but ultimately to the oppressors too. It goes beyond women, or even human beings. The ONLY sustainable dynamic between different groups is one of respect, coexistence, and cooperation. This report, while essential, reflects the fact that our default assumption is that somehow oppression and exploitation can exist sustainably, without negative consequences to anyone except the group being victimized. We need to abandon that way of thinking and realize that this report is simply providing a statistical proof for a conclusion that we should all have reached long ago.
small(ish) typo in the first line of the second paragraph. Should be: I think as a society we need to cease living in this delusional space, where we seem [UNWILLING or UNABLE] to believe that systemic oppression and exploitation is ALWAYS destructive