OVERVIEW
Biodiversity refers to the total number of species and ecosystems in a region. As human beings, our ability to live on this planet– to breath air, consume food and water, and cure disease– is intricately linked to biodiversity.
At present, the planet is facing an escalating loss of species across our natural environment, roughly 1,000 times the natural rate, due to increased pollution, disease, land-use, and the impacts of climate change.
Although a large percentage of this environmental degradation is fueled by over-consumption and development in industrialized nations, the effects are felt hardest by communities in the developing world like Nepal whose livelihoods are linked to natural resources of the smaller communities like in the areas that we work at -Suryabinayak Nagarpalika, Bhaktapur District. These resources are vital both for consumption and for income through forestry, agro-forestry, agriculture, or any other NTFP based SMEs run and managed by women for example.
GENDER AND BIODIVERSITY
Women and men generally have different roles in the use and management of natural resources as a result of gender norms. Understanding these roles is a key to combating biodiversity loss and ensuring equitable access to limited and life-giving resources, especially in developing countries like Nepal and in semi urban and semi rural communities like Suryabinayak Nagarpalika, Bhaktapur District.
Gender differentiated responsibilities vary region to region and village to village, but in many communities around Nepal, women act as primary caretakers and natural resource managers – procuring water and firewood, managing waste and providing health care, often through traditional plant-based medicines as home remedy. Women’s activities are directly impacted by biodiversity loss, and the related impacts on women’s lives are in terms of health, safety, education are reinforcing unequal rights and access to decision-making.
Women’s roles also mean they hold vast knowledge on sources of water, storing and caring for seeds, and the diverse uses and benefits of plants, including for food, medicine, art, and avoiding and mitigating land degradation. This knowledge is crucial to preserving biodiversity, addressing climate change and supporting livelihoods.
WRRN IS CALLING FOR:
• Women’s equal rights and access to land and land tenure, including guarantee and protection of the rights of women and men who access land through a variety of group or individually-held tenure arrangements (e.g., use rights, rental agreements, etc.)
• A halt to land grabs: Conversion of land for large-scale and/or commercial land development for housing plots, agriculture, biofuels, or other development highly impacts women, while also advancing biodiversity loss and climate change.
• Nepal government and local and provincial elected government to mainstream gender into their conservation agendas, National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans and implementation efforts.
Objective of the Organization:
The purpose of the organization are as follows.
o To take initiative to establish women’s access to natural resources by organizing semi urban and semi ruralwomen working in the field of natural resources.
o Coordinating with various governmental and non-governmental organizations at all levels, building women’s networks and coordinating women’s groups with various bodies and organizations.
o To conduct campaign against violence against women working in natural resources by establishing education, health and employment of semi urban and semi rural women and children.
o To motivate and facilitate the fair and equitable distribution and utilization of the natural resources to raise the economic and social status of the disadvantaged community.
o To take the matter to the policy level to rectify the practical shortcomings in the policy and law made in the field of natural resources and to draw the attention of the Government of Nepal to the ambiguity and confusion in the implementation of policies, laws and programs.
o To protect the rights and interests of women working in the field of natural resources. Always be vigilant to safeguard the national heritage and natural resources resources policy, increase awareness among the semi urban and semi rural community about the rules and regulations, make them aware of the policy rules, and mobilize semi urban and semi rural women in natural resource management.
o To support and encourage semi urban and semi rural women working in the field of natural resources by increasing the economic status of semi urban and semi ruralwomen by conducting programs such as demonstration, operation and research of various dimensional activities.
o To provide entrepreneurship development, technical legal and other necessary services, assistance and counseling to the women involved in the business related to the establishment and operation of agri-forest based enterprises to be established and operated under the leadership of women.
o To make semi urban and semi ruralwomen self-reliant and capable and to do necessary work in coordination with the private and cooperative sector as per the need.
o To highlight the contribution made by the local community and semi urban and semi rural women in the conservation of natural resources and to conduct awareness programs.
o To spend the financial assistance and grants received from governmental and non-governmental organizations for the fund of the organization for the benefit of semi urban and semi rural women and for the development of institutional capacity.
o The organization can be made self-reliant and run smoothly in the long run by arranging a separate revolving fund. The provision of the said fund can be implemented in the hierarchical structure.
o In carrying out the program for the fulfillment of the above objectives, coordination and cooperation will be made with the concerned bodies at the central level and at the state level as per the need.
o Strengthen the campaign for women’s rights by being affiliated with the National and International Organization Network for the Establishment of Women’s Rights.
