Sustainability - A Matter of Choice

THE WAY AHEAD



Involving women

Women make up half the world's population, and achieving sustainable development depends to a very great extent on the part that they can play. It is not just a question of giving them the role that is theirs by right. There are also strictly practical considerations involved.

In rural developing societies it is the women rather than the men who are responsible not only for domestic work and the children's health and education, but also for food production for the family and the management of natural resources. As in most industrialized countries, women spend more time working then men.

In some parts of East Africa, women are occupied 16 hours a day with household chores and growing the family's food. It is also common for women, particularly young girls, to spend hours every day hunting for fuel and fetching water in developing countries. Where these resources are getting scarcer, they may have to walk many miles.

All this is done at the expense of education, which, if available, is usually offered to men. Yet the knowledge women in such societies already possess is valuable. They often understand local ecosystems and know about soil features, multiple crop-use, and rearing small animals. They may be familiar with the concept of biodiversity through practical experience. In a survey in Sierra Leone, women proved able to name 31 products that they gathered or made from local flora, while men were able to name only eight. In certain regions of the Andes, it is women who develop and maintain the seed banks on which food production depends.13

It is in the women's interest to know these things, and in the global interest too. But sustainable development demands that the contribution of women be increased by giving them greater opportunities worldwide. They are disadvantaged by illiteracy, overwork, and malnutrition (in many societies, the most and the best food is given to boys). They need education and training. They need better health care both for themselves and to raise stronger children. They need support in the shape of investment and research in the area of traditional food crops. They need access to credit facilities and a share in decision-making. These socio-economic changes are vital if sustainable development is to be achieved.



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Copyright 1996, The World Wide Fund For Nature