Women’s rights groups in Siaya have urged the county government to develop and implement gender-responsive climate action to enhance their participation at the village level.
The organisations also want the county government to set aside two per cent of its development budget to support climate change adaptation initiatives.
Through the Siaya Muungano Network, they said the county should mobilise and support women to participate not only in decision-making processes, but also in local solutions.
The rights organisations led by Millicent Nyanja said a focus on gender-sensitive climate action plans would help build the resilience of women to climate change.
She was addressing the media after a meeting dubbed “Siaya COP27”, similar to the ongoing global event in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt.
“We are calling on the Siaya government under the leadership of Governor James Orengo to fast-track the implementation of the Siaya County Climate Change Act and climate change funds to ensure they benefit all, including women at the grassroots level,” Nyanja said.
The women leaders committed to strengthening grassroots dissemination of climate action information to the community as well as promoting local solutions.
Rosemary Atieno from the Community Mobilisation for Positive Development said women's rights organisations under the Voices for Just Climate Action have been training Siaya women on climate smart agriculture.
They are taught how they can use limited space to produce vegetables using water efficient techniques.
“Water is an issue with climate change, hence the need for such practices,” she said.
Mary Abang’ from West Gem said women were the biggest casualties of climate change, hence the need for deliberate efforts to include them in programmes such as tree planting.