19 May 2014

The deputy director in the Department of Gender Affairs, Ms Thapelo Phuthego says climate change is affecting women and girls.

Speaking at a climate change public lecture in Gaborone organised for Parliament Portfolio Committee on Climate Change, Ms Phuthego explained there were more women than men who depended on natural resources.

She said when these natural resources became scarce because of climate change, the women and girls were the most affected and many of them resorted to unwanted behaviour such as prostitution in order to make a living.

She said this called for innovation, multi-sectoral and multi-faceted solutions to address climate change and its negative effects.She explained that the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs had developed a draft National Policy on gender and development which mainly provided for gender mainstreaming.

The document will be tabled in Parliament in due course. However, she explained that though women were the most affected by climate change, she was against the idea of legalising commercial sex workers and establishment of brothels where these women could operate their businesses.

WENA Magazine editor Ms Florah Mmereki said global warming needed to stop as it had caused many catastrophes in the world. She said Botswana had not been spared its effects and people needed to act now.

She explained that just like HIV/AIDS, Climate Change should be given priority and government should channel resources in mitigating its effects. Ms Mmereki said much had been achieved in raising awareness on climate change and now there was need to infusion climate change education in the school curriculum from primary school.

She explained that climate change could generate more jobs in Botswana through potential technology for harnessing energy and water. She cautioned the government to make sure that whatever is imported did not have some global warming potential, adding that Botswana was now a dumping area for the second Japanese vehicles when the country did not have a vehicle emission policy.

She also noted that Botswana Power Corporation (BPC), through its Lesedi Project, had a panted stove which could be replicated in Botswana even though Botswana had the capacity to invent and develop its own technology.

Ms Mmereki also complained that Botswana did not have a water conservation policy and this was one thing that exacerbated climate change whilst the re-use of waste water, which had been a song for the past years, is never being implemented.

The Parliamentary Portfolio on Climate Change comprises Maun west MP Frank Ramsden as Chair, MP Taolo Habano of Ngami, MP Tawana Moremi of Maun West, Kgalagadi South MP John Toto, Shoshong MP Phillip Makgalemele, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and MP for Tonota South Pono Moatlhodi, and Selibe-Phikwe West Gilson Saleshando. Ends