Women and the Environment Meeting the Challenge for the Communication Strategist.

Abstract

The concept and practice of sustainable development has been carried out by women throughout history. In developing countries today, women still maintain a direct and sustainable working relation ship with the environment. With the rise of cash markets and commodities, the commercial exploitation of the environment became the dominant philosophy and practice. The status of women decreased despite the vital, unrecognized contributions women make and continue to make. Today, the planet faces grave environmental and human social problems. Poverty is rampant and increasing population growth will have serious, detrimental ecological results. Women are a vital asset in seeking a solution to these problems through their intimate association with the environment and their role as mothers. Women have a direct bearing on reducing population growth, eradication poverty and improving standards of health and education. The challenges to government and non-government field development workers are many but a clear understanding of the role women play is vital if aid programmers are to be successful. It is essential that women be recognized as the prime agents of change in many societies and their concerns must be met with well planned and practical policies and practices. This has not always been the case and many programmers have founded simply simply because women were not involved at the planning stage and indeed all levels of implementation. There are many examples where inappropriate technology has been introduced or where there was little attempt to utilize the vast repository of ecological knowledge already possessed by local women. Field workers should be a prime medium in supplementing this already existing knowledge with modern scientific and ecologically sound training and assistance in related areas. With the ultimate goal being to help women to help themselves, the environment will benefit enormously as will the cause of women itself. By addressing both long-term and short-term concerns of women, particularly in the sphere of education, the benefits to society as a whole will be reflected in sustained economic and environmental development as well as a better quality of life. There are many examples where women have been instrumental in protection and conserving the environment from the local to the international level. Women have influenced national policies as well as being the driving force behind major international and global environmental movements. They have a proven yet often unrecognized track record. With well planned and organized development packages effectively communicated by knowledgeable and understanding communicators, women will continue to play a vital role in the ecological management of the Earth’s resources from the village level through to major international forums.