Women entrepreneurs and workers in green economies
Following the Rio+20 commitment by countries to adopt green economy approaches in the context of poverty reduction and sustainable development, it is critical to seek catalytic means for making such policy directions a success. Green economy approaches, and the generation of green jobs through green industries, promise to contribute to mitigating climate change and protecting the environment while ensuring that economic growth is sustainable and inclusive. An enabling policy environment coupled with deliberate action by government, the private sector, development practitioners and workers’ organizations, among others, is necessary to promote green growth. This includes women’s full and equal participation in the green economy, in decision-making at different levels, in the labour force, in entrepreneurial activities and as green industrialists, and sharing in the benefits of green growth.
Question 1: In what ways can women, in particular women living in poverty, benefit from the green economy? Do you have examples of the green economy working for women?
Question 2: How can governments, the private sector, development organizations, and others support women’s equal and active participation in the green economy and ensure that women’s green jobs are decent jobs?
Question 3: What barriers prevent women entrepreneurs and workers from entering, progressing and remaining in the green economy and green industries? How can these barriers be removed?
I have been reading all the comments and interesting notes. I believe a lot has been said but I just wanted to add a comment on one issue that I believe is highly relevant but hasn,t been mentioned that much. I am referring to the link between green economies and health, and specilly women,s health.
I understand that this discussion is focused on green jobs and green entrepreneurships, but I believe domestic work has to be considered as a job. Domestic energy as highly relevant in terms of climate change, is also, very relevant to people,s health, specially women who often are the ones that spend more time inside their households. Furthermore, through lactancy and pregnancy air/water pollution that affects women can be transferred to children.
I remember a study lead by the WHO in Nicaragua that found out that one of the main contributing factors to neumony was the practice of burning solid waste. That common practices, besides polluting the air, was making women and children more vulnerable to pulmonary problems.
Since I am not a health expert, I provide hereby two links with detailed information and examples where you can read and find out much more about the link between health and domestic green enery, a topic that the World Health Organization has documented quite much.
http://www.who.int/hia/hgebrief_hh_sp.pdf
http://www.who.int/hia/hgehousing.pdf
The process of moving forward in a greener industrialization and agriculture, services and science and technology, also the pathway towards achieving goals and reducing poverty in a more greener way is basically know as Green Economy
In Consideration with women economic empowerment it should also be remembered that empowering women also affect the patterns of household spending and likely to increase demand for sustainable goods and services. Ultimately this trend affects to a significant growth on green economy.
To start this priceless investment, the head-start should be given in country basis or even in regional basis. Women's training in non-traditional sectors which are also closely connected for a sustainable future should be improved and women should be provided with necessary means of educational material on that.
There should be more focus on ares such as FINANCIAL LITERACY. In simple terms financial literacy means having the basic knowledge as to how money works. Which is to say, how someone managers to earns money, and when we receive money how exactly should we spend it. Understanding the basic line of Wants and Needs.
Needs
Wants
An important part of economics is the distribution of resources or goods so that people's needs are met. This is especially true in times of scarcity when there are not enough resources, goods or services.
Many times advertisers try to appeal to consumers in such a way that the consumers feel they need certain goods or services when in fact they only want them. In specific terms this also refers to set of skills and knowledge that allows as individual to make effective decisions, with their financial resources.
In order to fully capitalize women's participation in green economy women's paid employment needs to rise and more women need to be in position of corporate leadership.
Women are consumers. They are also workers and producers. This plays a crucial role in benefiting the growth of green economy and reaping the benefit.
I wanted to thank you all so incredible discussion on the perspective and role of women in the green economy. I think it would be important among all continue to share views and experiences between the circles of contact and knowledge.
This time of transition has built bridges between different visions, missions and development areas as science, technology, sources of funding, philanthropy to strengthen the passage of a new green inclusive economy.
Many can be immersed in this construction so Conscious and other actors as receptive.
They are unique moments as they have been the income changes political and social rights under the principles of reason, equality and freedom, the eclaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of the French Revolution and the changes in consumption and production that made improvements to the development driven by the Industrial Revolution .
The introduction of exchange-based theories, analysis and action as the Circular Economy, Green Economy, Economic Empowerment of Women paradigm, life cycle are manifestations of the road is one.
It's like climbing the economy and global processes and watch them walking around, hear a whole global interconnection, a mother macroeconomics, a green macroeconomics and produce changes in the direction in which we must take the micro in each country to live and sustain a world that includes us all according to developments and needs of a statistically certain reality.
The romantic and ideal idea cooperative, caring nature and equal gender have become an imperative to the imbalance of violence, natural disasters and inequality.
All scientific studies show us that the feminine essence has been lost and we must work to restore that balance with nature and the feminine gender and studies also confirm that the work and the benefit of those factors together are what ensure evolution, permanence, stability and development of the planet.
Women and the environment are sensitive, maintain harmony and are catalysts for change. The diversity of women and the planet along with the with the relationship patterns of behavior and violence of humanity make nature today both be symbiotic.
To solve the great problems of the world have to solve the two together and solidarity.
Women are key agents of change because they are a part relegated with immense potential and "sincerely" is the need to, to feel recognized and lead regardless of social status, age, geographic location; is an intrinsic current that simple question in which we are all recognized.
Fortunately it is time solutions and start acting with emphasis and intensity; the vast quantity of solid experience and shared practices in discussion by all participants confirm the effort and commitment.
Humanitarian development issues, social policy, environmental finally deal with a loving process improvement chased by large global crisis in which we are all engaged today and how to solve it is also a question of all. Unity criterion in Diversity.
The economic crisis of the capitalist system processes challenges us to "humanists", excellence sustainably to meet the challenge of inclusion and wellbeing.
http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/greeneconomyreport/tabid/29846/default.aspx
The woman is present and necessary as accelerating change in many aspects of a green economy, it is permeable to change.
She can contribute to sustainable tourism, invest and leading to energy and water efficiency, climate-change mitigation, waste reduction, biodiversity conservation and the cultural heritage.
The woman working on her own tourism businesses strengthens linkages with the local communities, create more and better jobs, higher investment returns consolidates local development and benefit, contribute to poverty reduction, while raising awareness and support for the sustainable use of the natural resources. Her communities turn on more economic and environment friendly.
She can handle the change in consumption towards a green approach and move from fomenter reuse and business resulting from the management of waste.
Women farmers can address the consumer turning to crops with higher technology and organic.
Women have particular strength in consumer habits and food security, are mostly those who choose to buy and put on the table.
Urban women can work and food reduces the footprint of a city, Especially if one Takes into account the energy use generated by Transporting food from remote locations to urban marketplaces. Successful urban agriculture projects are scattered across some cities, albeit on a small scale usually, making use of communal gardens, roof spaces and unused urban spaces.
The effort of women to a green economy could be centered with 1.-food security, 2 - urban and peri-urban agriculture green.; 3 - public transport.; 4.-renewable energy; 5 - Management and recycling waste.; 6.-green construction; 7.-green STEM.
* UNESCO in one of his reports which evidence we are the axes to achieve green economies and in which women should be involved and act to transform realities:
- Education: That the report states education is one of the best weapons to fight poverty and inequality and can foster the attitudes and behaviours necessary for a new culture of sustainability.
- Science: science, technology and innovation can and must drive the pursuit of more equitable and sustainable development.
- Culture: The New Approaches They will only work if the context match and so culture must be built into development from the start.
- Information: the green transition will rely on the media to enable Governments to create policy for sustainable development and act on it. Media can raise public awareness of these issues and build solidarity.
- Oceans: oceans make the world habitable for people and so there must be Renewed effort to manage the world's water systems in a new green economy
If we understand how The green economy as one That results in improved human well-being and social equity, generate decent and green works while significantly reducing risks environmental and ecological scarcities.
Key economies include greening the industries for energy access, waste, ecotourism, agriculture, sustainable forestry and urbanization engine for development, appropriate national policies and incentives, government help, encourage investment, both public and private.
International cooperation will be essential to complement also national actions, in particular, to strengthen access to FINANCING businesses and jobs that help to protect the participation of Women, ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, water consumption, altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution.
My small participation in this discussion with a personal contribution local work mainstreaming Women&Environment in Spanish
http://legislemos.org/gabrielaydiego/ley/taxis-verdes-de-material-reciclado-con-energia-solar
I wanted to thank you all so incredible discussion on the perspective and role of women in the green economy. I think it would be important among all continue to share views and experiences between the circles of contact and knowledge.
This time of transition has built bridges between different visions, missions and development areas as science, technology, sources of funding, philanthropy to strengthen the passage of a new green inclusive economy.
Many can be immersed in this construction so Conscious and other actors as receptive.
They are unique moments as they have been the income changes political and social rights under the principles of reason, equality and freedom, the eclaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of the French Revolution and the changes in consumption and production that made improvements to the development driven by the Industrial Revolution .
The introduction of exchange-based theories, analysis and action as the Circular Economy, Green Economy, Economic Empowerment of Women paradigm, life cycle are manifestations of the road is one.
It's like climbing the economy and global processes and watch them walking around, hear a whole global interconnection, a mother macroeconomics, a green macroeconomics and produce changes in the direction in which we must take the micro in each country to live and sustain a world that includes us all according to developments and needs of a statistically certain reality.
The romantic and ideal idea cooperative, caring nature and equal gender have become an imperative to the imbalance of violence, natural disasters and inequality.
All scientific studies show us that the feminine essence has been lost and we must work to restore that balance with nature and the feminine gender and studies also confirm that the work and the benefit of those factors together are what ensure evolution, permanence, stability and development of the planet.
Women and the environment are sensitive, maintain harmony and are catalysts for change. The diversity of women and the planet along with the with the relationship patterns of behavior and violence of humanity make nature today both be symbiotic.
To solve the great problems of the world have to solve the two together and solidarity.
Women are key agents of change because they are a part relegated with immense potential and "sincerely" is the need to, to feel recognized and lead regardless of social status, age, geographic location; is an intrinsic current that simple question in which we are all recognized.
Fortunately it is time solutions and start acting with emphasis and intensity; the vast quantity of solid experience and shared practices in discussion by all participants confirm the effort and commitment.
Humanitarian development issues, social policy, environmental finally deal with a loving process improvement chased by large global crisis in which we are all engaged today and how to solve it is also a question of all. Unity criterion in Diversity.
The economic crisis of the capitalist system processes challenges us to "humanists", excellence sustainably to meet the challenge of inclusion and wellbeing.
http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/greeneconomyreport/tabid/29846/default.aspx
The woman is present and necessary as accelerating change in many aspects of a green economy, it is permeable to change.
She can contribute to sustainable tourism, invest and leading to energy and water efficiency, climate-change mitigation, waste reduction, biodiversity conservation and the cultural heritage.
The woman working on her own tourism businesses strengthens linkages with the local communities, create more and better jobs, higher investment returns consolidates local development and benefit, contribute to poverty reduction, while raising awareness and support for the sustainable use of the natural resources. Her communities turn on more economic and environment friendly.
She can handle the change in consumption towards a green approach and move from fomenter reuse and business resulting from the management of waste.
Women farmers can address the consumer turning to crops with higher technology and organic.
Women have particular strength in consumer habits and food security, are mostly those who choose to buy and put on the table.
Urban women can work and food reduces the footprint of a city, Especially if one Takes into account the energy use generated by Transporting food from remote locations to urban marketplaces. Successful urban agriculture projects are scattered across some cities, albeit on a small scale usually, making use of communal gardens, roof spaces and unused urban spaces.
The effort of women to a green economy could be centered with 1.-food security, 2 - urban and peri-urban agriculture green.; 3 - public transport.; 4.-renewable energy; 5 - Management and recycling waste.; 6.-green construction; 7.-green STEM.
* UNESCO in one of his reports which evidence we are the axes to achieve green economies and in which women should be involved and act to transform realities:
- Education: That the report states education is one of the best weapons to fight poverty and inequality and can foster the attitudes and behaviours necessary for a new culture of sustainability.
- Science: science, technology and innovation can and must drive the pursuit of more equitable and sustainable development.
- Culture: The New Approaches They will only work if the context match and so culture must be built into development from the start.
- Information: the green transition will rely on the media to enable Governments to create policy for sustainable development and act on it. Media can raise public awareness of these issues and build solidarity.
- Oceans: oceans make the world habitable for people and so there must be Renewed effort to manage the world's water systems in a new green economy
If we understand how The green economy as one That results in improved human well-being and social equity, generate decent and green works while significantly reducing risks environmental and ecological scarcities.
Key economies include greening the industries for energy access, waste, ecotourism, agriculture, sustainable forestry and urbanization engine for development, appropriate national policies and incentives, government help, encourage investment, both public and private.
International cooperation will be essential to complement also national actions, in particular, to strengthen access to FINANCING businesses and jobs that help to protect the participation of Women, ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, water consumption, altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution.
My small participation in this discussion with a personal contribution local work mainstreaming Women&Environment in Spanish
http://legislemos.org/gabrielaydiego/ley/taxis-verdes-de-material-reciclado-con-energia-solar
Question 3: Corporate Citizenship estimates that there are approximately 860 million women worldwide who are deemed “not prepared” and/ or “not enabled” to take part in the world economy. This number is expected to rise to 1 billion in the next decade. The challenges women face come from both the extrinsic socio-cultural environment as well as their intrinsic psycho-social condition. Both of which need to be addressed in order to successfully integrate women entrepreneurs in the green economy.
Extrinsic factors that pose challenges include:
There are various reports and studies addressing how programs can help women in the Base of the Pyramid overcome the multiple extrinsic barriers to becoming and being effective entrepreneurs, as well as policy recommendations to create more enabling environments. E.g. The United Nations Foundation and Exxon Mobil’s “A Roadmap to Women’s Economic Empowerment” delves into how programs and individuals can overcome traditional barriers women face in order for women to empower their selves economically. Despite considerable attention paid towards extrinsic barriers that women entrepreneurs face and interventions to address those, there remains a large gap on the knowledge and research of intrinsic barriers that women face in becoming entrepreneurs.
Recommendation: More attention needs to be paid to addressing intrinsic factors (agency-based and leadership training for entrepreneurs). There are multiple intrinsic factors, such as self-efficacy, agency, motivation, and drive that contribute substantially to women’s capacity to succeed. Amatucci and Crawley (2010) found that confidence and self-efficacy in financial management directly influenced success among women entrepreneurs and call for additional research to understand women intrinsic barriers to success. A recent study taken in Iran found that there is a meaningful and positive relationship between psychosocial factors of empowerment (including self-efficiency, motivation, personal consequence, feeling of being meaningful and trust in others) and entrepreneurship.
Agency-based trainings focus upon behavioral change by supporting self-awareness, internal motivation, and the abilities to formulate and execute strategic choices. These trainings remain critical as increased agency can lead women to be more able to participate fully in trainings that enhance their knowledge and capacity. Identifying ways to build human agency that engender hope, self-efficacy, and positive behavioral change is requisite to women’s empowerment. Leadership training supports the abilities to develop and execute strategic choices. Leadership training can include modules on topics such as creating goals to achieve identified outcomes, developing plans of action, speaking publicly, and other essential skills. While agency-based training is critical in building internal empowerment, leadership training and practice is important in helping women execute their gained agency.
Q.1.In Kenya, there are regions with fertile soils which experience water challenges either due to unreliable weather patterns or poorly distributed sources of water, making it hard to grow food crops. Many women groups in Kenya have since opted for Amiran’s drip irrigation system from Netafim, the Israeli multinational company that invented drip irrigation that has made it possible for farmers to grow all year round and experience high yields while still conserving an important environmental resource, water, ensuring that every drop counts through the drip pipes which delivers water directly to the root of the plant, saving between 30 to 60 percent of water as compared to other modes of irrigation.
To cater to the growing demand of fresh agricultural produce farmers have been challenged to increase their farming space in order to produce more, forcing most farmers to cut down trees to increase their growing area. The Amiran’s Farmers Kit (AFK) which only requires an eighth of an acre of land was invented so that small-scale farmers can benefit from modern agricultural innovations and experience large harvests. Through the AFK, Amiran is also promoting urban and peri urban agriculture to improve food access in towns, residents can do farming in the 500 square meters AFK and still be able to produce tonnes of food that would have previously required large areas of land. In addition, the greenhouse, an important component of the AFK uses metallic support structures as compared to wooden structured greenhouses that encourage cutting down of trees.
Another environmentally friendly innovation from Amiran is the Amiran Organic Farmers Kit which is comprised of a unique set of components that include: Natural organic fertilizers, specially formulated soil nutrients and organic pesticides, among other components. Amiran’s organic farming methods sustain the health of the soil, ecosystems and grow healthy organic produce. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, combining tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and quality of life for all involved with the result being healthy soil, improved soil fertility, comparable crop yields, nutritional superior products for families, higher market produce for sale, and most importantly, a balanced ecosystem.
Amiran has empowered many women groups successfully all over the country, which include; Heart foundation, which works with HIV positive women in the Kisii region and also the WAPI initiative with women from Meru.
Q.2. In a world of rising inequality, local governments play a critical role in building pathways for sustainable development, especially by creating an enabling policy environment and innovating policy solutions. Local institutions such as local government units, both formal and informal local organizations including cooperatives, culture groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as the private sector are well placed to promote opportunities for green jobs, build rural resilience, reduce urban poverty and ensure a human rights-based approach to local development planning.
The sustainability of green jobs depends not only on their environmental benefits but also on their social content, particularly their contributions to increasing social equity. The income gap between rich and poor is widening both within and between countries due to increasing unemployment and the poor quality of many jobs. Green jobs offer the possibility for a more equitable sharing of revenue between capital and labor and restored growth with greater distributive justice.
Women worldwide contribute to the economy and its productivity, however they may be excluded from the green economy due to gender-segregated employment, discrimination, and traditional attitudes. however Legal, social, financial and educational barriers are hindering women’s productivity and preventing them from realizing their full economic potential.
The lack of gender equality is decreasing the access of women to green positions in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. Although they are the foundation of sustainable households, women agricultural workers in poor countries are a marginalized group. Most green jobs are expected to be in the secondary sectors of construction, manufacturing and energy production, where women are significantly underrepresented. Women may fare better in the tertiary sector where most are now employed. However, men dominate the better paid jobs in engineering, financial and business services, where the bulk of green service positions are likely to be created.
These barriers are not only holding the women back; it is holding back national economic performance and growth. Guaranteeing equal opportunities for women and men is not just the right thing to do; it is smart economics. Also, the benefits go beyond the individual because women who have access to financial resources through employment or income-generating activities are more likely than men to invest in their children’s health and education—an investment in the workforce of tomorrow
Government and union action is required to raise the proportion of green jobs filled by women and to ensure the quality of those jobs.
Increasing the proportion of green jobs filled by females and ensuring the quality of those jobs should be done in a five-step process to get more women:
1. Employed – by overcoming barriers to greater female participation in the workforce through combating discrimination and implementing family-friendly policies.
2. Recruited – by hiring women for non-traditional jobs through special programs and quotas;
3. Trained – by providing women with green job skills;
4. Paid equitably – by reducing gender-based job segmentation and gender wage gaps;
5. Organized – by increasing the unionization of women in potential green sectors.
Also the Government and the private sector together with NGOs can enter into partnerships that target to empower the people to engage in green economy.
Amiran Kenya as a part of the private sector has employed this tool through partnering with different government bodies, such as County Governments as well as Non Government Organizations to empower women and youth throughout Kenya to engage in sustainable green economy.
Lastly, green jobs will be created in resource-based sectors including agriculture, fisheries and forestry, particularly in developing countries with devotion to conserving ecosystems
such as forests, wetlands, estuaries, soils and coral reefs as well as climate-related tasks such as carbon
sequestration through forestry.
Q.3. The economic potential of female entrepreneurs is not being realized as they suffer from; Lack of access to capital, land, information technology and training. This is in addition to inherent attitudes of traditional values that men are superior to women and that the woman’s place is to take care of her family.
How can these barriers be removed?
Q1.) Green economy promotes conservation of the water catchment areas and this favors the poor women who depend on such natural sources of water, it ensures proper and responsible waste disposal, this reduces outbreaks of water borne diseases, it promotes the use of sustainable energy sources such as solar and wind which are more easier to access for women living in poverty compared to electricity. Examples of green economy working for women is the use of the use of integrated solar lamps that are clean and hence reduce respiratory infections, the lamps can also be connected to small radios hence they promote hence promoting access to information, they also have slots for charging phones hence these does not only promote communication but it is also a source of income to those who own it. Proper waste management is another green economy strategy that have benefited many women, The Dandora dumping site in Nairobi Kenya is a source of livelihood for many women in Nairobi. Some women groups have also won tenders to collect garbage from homes within urban centers at a small cost.
Q2).Involving women in policy making, engaging more women in projects regarding green economy, the development organizations can involve the women in their green development projects.
Q3). One major factor is lack of information on the green economy and its benefits, another is the lack of cooperation from the public and the responsible bodies, political antagonism, lack of the technological know how on the establishment of a green economy, lack of experts and lack of funds to establish a green economy.
Q1.) Green economy promotes conservation of the water catchment areas and this favors the poor women who depend on such natural sources of water, it ensures proper and responsible waste disposal, this reduces outbreaks of water borne diseases, it promotes the use of sustainable energy sources such as solar and wind which are more easier to access for women living in poverty compared to electricity. Examples of green economy working for women is the use of the use of integrated solar lamps that are clean and hence reduce respiratory infections, the lamps can also be connected to small radios hence they promote hence promoting access to information, they also have slots for charging phones hence these does not only promote communication but it is also a source of income to those who own it. Proper waste management is another green economy strategy that have benefited many women, The Dandora dumping site in Nairobi Kenya is a source of livelihood for many women in Nairobi. Some women groups have also won tenders to collect garbage from homes within urban centers at a small cost.
Q2).Involving women in policy making, engaging more women in projects regarding green economy, the development organizations can involve the women in their green development projects.
Q3). One major factor is lack of information on the green economy and its benefits, another is the lack of cooperation from the public and the responsible bodies, political antagonism, lack of the technological know how on the establishment of a green economy, lack of experts and lack of funds to establish a green economy.
First of all, many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this e-discussion. It is great to learn from all your valuable contributions.
Throughout the discussion it has become very clear that green industries provide a great opportunity for women. They enable women to enhance their own and their family’s living standards due to the generation of additional income and provide additional learning opportunities and chances to develop their capacities and skills. As such, green industries and the green economy at large also create a space for women’s empowerment and generate opportunities for women to engage in new substantive areas and fields of work on the one hand, and chances to take on leadership and decision-making positions on the other. Evidence from a variety of countries and regions was provided that demonstrates the positive effects of women entrepreneurs on green industries and societies’ well-being. Such evidence is important and needs to be systematically documented as it serves as a great advocacy and awareness raising tool!
At the same time the discussion revealed that numerous problems continue to persist regarding women’s participation in the green economy. Here, issues such as limited access to market linkages/value chains and to resources such as credit and land, childcare options and education and training for women were cited frequently. Furthermore, a general underestimation of women’s skills and capabilities, and lack of recognition of the role they play in the green economy have been mentioned as a key problem. In fact, the analysis of barriers made up a relatively large part of the e-discussion. This was helpful as understanding these is a precondition for paving the way to women’s enhanced participation. At the same time it shows that much work remains to be done to address these barriers. The key question now is how to go about this? In short what needs to be done to achieve truly inclusive and sustainable industrial development and gender-responsive economic growth?
In this context, I found the discussion around informal learning networks for women particularly interesting. Specifically the suggestion to also look for alternative solutions, such as business incubators and creating fora for like-minded women to facilitate experiential learning, caught my attention. It would be good to explore such options further and think about how exactly such initiatives could be established and maintained in order to ensure take-up at the local level and for it to effectively complement traditional ways of entrepreneurship and business skills-training. Also hope to see some more great ideas and concrete examples of women entrepreneurs and workers greening industrial practices and jobs in these last days of the e-discussion!
In the overall context of the 4 tracks of this e-discussion, it may be very worthwhile to explore India's agriculture innovation project led agriculture technology innovations track (http://www.naip.icar.org.in/) which present potential for adaptation , replication and scale up. Perhaps, a clearing house of the relevant technologies, developing their anchoring models in local contexts, coupled with incubation, seed money, mentoring and capacity assistance may play a very vital role in creating emulation worthy gendered examples.
Q2:
It needs to develop a new methodological approach, that bring all the sectors (government, CSOs, Privarte sector, the financing organizations…) then to prioritize the main needs foe the women and their participations in the green economy.
The needs will be 2 kinds: the first are related to the general lesons and the main factors that affect the women status and role, secondly are the needs and the characteristics of the women situation in the specific contexts where she live.
I think, by this approach, we can think about the women and the green economy globally and trying to benefit from the experiences and to exchange the knowledge, skills, expertise…etc. and at same time we are giving the real situation, and the national context where the women live, in order to answer the specific questions that face these national contexts.
Building a green economy can be beneficial for women as it would open oppourtunities for employment.Many green jobs provide good wages and benefits. One fact however is, many of the industries that are creating green jobs, such as the construction trades, have historically had low female representation. Hence it is important for governments to address this issue and the barriers which women face when trying to secure a job in green industies. Firstly, policy makers need to shift ideologies that certain jobs are traditionally mostly just for men (eg, civil engineering etc.), this can be done by coming up with programs that make the inclusion of women a priority.
Governments must provide oppourtunities to women to learn new skills in order to secure jobs in green economies. Many women living in poverty do not have suffecient education however several green jobs can still be secured with only some post secondary education or training, this would offer low income women who may only have a high school diploma the chance to move from poverty and secure a future for themselves and families.
Yes Helen, we are striving always to incorporate the financing and the funding organization in the partnerships, and this is a very vital issue, but always facing challenges, as well achieving good results and accumulating positively.
Regarding the model characteristics:
The project’s idea has been emerged as an answer to the suffering of the Palestinian people under occupation, which controls the Palestinian land and resources, the borders, crossings and economic life, which prevents the possibility of comprehensive and sustainable development. Therefore it is necessary to depend on alternative tools that reinforce the existence and steadfastness and self- reliance of the Palestinian people on their land, through investing available resources, producing the basics themselves and avoiding strategies that promote the subservience to the occupation’s market. Women, who constitute around 49% of the population, are the most marginalized and poor segment of Palestinian society and so the project’s interventions have impacted this situation positively.
The Cooperative model is considered as an effective tool that has been experienced during the first intifada in 1987, based on collective and voluntary work, collective ownership, a system of management rotation and adoption of best practices. Critically examing the cooperatives past experiences and modifying the model through lessons learned for the present time, has helped in advancing this model, to contribute more effectively in enhancing women and the local community in the socio-economic and political field.
The cooperative members are skilled and their capacities have been improved, as a result their efficiency and productivity has been maximized, and so the economic life is improved. The better economic situation of the members, has helped the women to transform the economic empowerment into the socio- political life, as they are more aware of gender issues and women rights, more able to move, go out, work with other local actors and participate in public activities, as a cooperative or in coordination or networking with other community based bodies.
Besides the distribution of profits and dividends among the women members, there are two types of employment that have been created and reinforced: permanent and partial employment. To reinforce the sustainable production cycle, the women members deduct around 20% of the annual profits and reinvested them in developing the cooperative infrastructure. In addition to controlling more resources and having more employment opportunities that improved the income, today the women members are proud of contributing to supplying the local communities with basic products that are demanded and started substituting other goods, also they emphasize that they work highly sensitivity to the environment.
On the other side, the economically empowered women, succeeded to increase their political and social participation on two main levels, the local and the national. On the local level they are one of the key actors who meet and discuss main issues facing the community, and work jointly to meet the communities’ priorities. Moreover, the women members are giving high priority to public issues, for example on they are very interested in how the local councils work and plan to participate and to nominate women from the cooperatives to the elections. Furthermore the women plan to conduct both their own activities as well as joint activities with other local actors.
On the national level the women cooperative members are now connecting the local with the national level (micro- macro relationships), and participated effectively in a national coalition under Bisan direction, which run a campaign to criticize the cooperatives’ law and to demand incorporating social protection for cooperative members and workers. The women cooperative members organized different initiatives such as raising public awareness regarding coop and gender issues, conducting workshops on social protection and collaborative work, participating in the Ramallah central festival and local festivals, implementing workshops with the Ministry of Labor and representatives of parliamentary blocks, who promised to follow up their demands. This exercise has systemized the thinking and the practices of women to work politically and socially on different levels to achieve women’s rights and to transform their concerns into action through running advocacy and lobbying campaigns to affect the decision makers.
1st . Here in Brazil, in a very poor region, recently, we had the creation ( from communities initiatives ) of cooperatives which give income to women who had suffered in their past some troubles by utilizing and transforming natural resources. The extraction of Babaçu ( a kind of palm tree) that in the past served as alimentation and material to "build" shelters now is used ass well to make craft work,oil, flour, biofuel and etc. The organizations still face some barriers as the right to access the regions (which have "Babaçu trees) but it has already led them to create the " Interstate Movement of Women (babassu coconut breakers)" and to break, in some way, the situation they have been through before.
2nd. First of all I think governments must start seen women as an important pieces of and in the economy. If they understand the benefits of integrating them, the government would be able to change their image .Today is a fact that "be Green" is an iniciative well seen and defended. By getting women closest to environmental question the government and other organizations might find a very profitable source. The Women are well know by their commitment with their own enviroment, such their families or job areas; so, as pointed in some articles (as " Why Women and Gender Are Essential to Understanding the World 'We' Live in" from GillianYoungs ) women are able to see the details of a whole picture, they might be able, as well, if employed , to work in it very ably. the private sector, the development organizations and etc must to create through media ( for example) this desire and the feeling of acceptance and integration of women in the society in order to integrate them first, to after work with them. By showing women doing different things ( as been able to work in a "men's area" , by putting different ethnical women to appear together in soap operas ( working or doing things without discrimination of social position), by given and emphasizing women who historically made some great act, or in lack of it, by emphasizing women who nowadays are making difference, in some years these states, in which this organizations and women are integrated, it will be able to make happen more gender equality thoughts and actions from the whole society, making women be able to get decent jobs, and as the "new sensation area",now and onward, is to be green; they might achieve and work on it successfully .
3rd. The main barrier is the ideological atavism. The "old" societies don't want to see the profitable potential the inclusion of women, the education of children and the promotion of real culture ( not the mass one that alienates) might generate significant changes and enrich their communities. The first action which might change it is to let new thoughts flourish, by given to the youth voice. ( We had seen this is Tiananmen ( maybe, if the communist party had given some "wise" voice to that "children" in that episode, by now, china might be a country with significant developments in the democratic field ) Second it must promote more integration starting from media, as i have already pointed above. And third the goverment and the organizations would give means ( not necessarily monetarily but by given courses and investing in education) to people become entrepreneurs because by being part of the economy the human beings start understanding, in practice that more people consuming is good to the businesses and their own richness .
Green economy can benefit a lot of people, not only women living in poverty. Just like it was mentioned in the introduction to the questions above, green jobs are not only going to mitigate the climate change and preserve the environment, but green jobs will offer more opportunities to everyone. Women will have more opportunities to jobs, to develop their skills, to build new skills, and to better life. Green jobs are specifically created to help minorities and others who did not get the chance to seek for an opportunity. The US Department of Labor gives some thoughts about green jobs and women. http://www.dol.gov/wb/media/reports/Why_is_Green_Good_for_Women_presentationrev_031510.pdf
Green jobs, like any others, should be considered as any other job and their workers should be treated just like any other worker. To ensure that women are treated equally, and actively participating in decent jobs, governments, the private sector, development organization and other support should create policies that will adjust women's rights and values same as men's. One action that will be significantly helpful is to create more jobs that encourage women to participate. Other is to invest in the training for these women to develop the same level of skills as men. That way, women will not be treated differently. These are a few of many other actions that the government or the private sector could take in order to enhance the advantage to women.
A book that thought me a lot was a book called "Lean In" by Sheryl Sandberg. This book stresses that women should be more confident. Why do you think that women are less confident than men? Probably because they were exposed to a male dominating world where women are under-looked. We need to stop this by encouraging more and more women that they can do it. Women are capable. Women can do anything that men can. People need to spread the encouragement and show results of those positivenesses to women, so they can tell themselves that they can do it.
I know it might sound very fantasy-like or naive. But I highly encourage reading "Lean In". This book made me realize why and how gender inequalities still exist in this world, but they can possibly be minimized.
Solar Sister is playing a key role in addressing the female face of energy poverty by marrying women power with green power. First of all, we need to understand the female face of energy poverty: 1.6 billion people in the world do not have access to electricity. 70% of these are women and girls. This energy poverty is most acute in Africa, which has the lowest per capita energy use of any continent with over 600 million Africans without basic electricity. This especially affects health, safety and economic advancement of women and girls. Beyond electricity, access to clean cooking solutions is also limited. In Sub-Saharan Africa, over 82% of the population (~700 million people) remains dependent on solid fuels such as charcoal, dung, fuel wood, and other biomass for cooking purposes. Women and girls, who have primary responsibility for cooking, spend hours each week collecting fuelwood and using inefficient cookstoves. This means risk to their safety, health and foregone opportunities for education and income advancement. Solar Sister is changing this, and we urge the Knowledge Gateway community increase awareness and action in addressing this problem at scale.
Question 1: In what ways can women, in particular women living in poverty, benefit from the green economy? Do you have examples of the green economy working for women?
Answer 1: With an innovative for-women, by-women distribution network, Solar Sister is solving the problem of ‘last mile’ energy access and bringing high quality, affordable clean energy solutions right to even the most remote communities in Africa. Solar Sister is using its innovative award winning approach to recruit, train and mentor African women as Solar Sister Entrepreneurs. It is a win-win solution for women who get a green business opportunity, for their communities which now have access to affordable, high quality clean energy products and services at their doorsteps, and for our global fight against climate change. Till date, more than 600 Solar Sister entrepreneurs have brought the life transforming benefits of clean energy to over 100,000 people in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Nigeria and South Sudan.
Question 2: How can governments, the private sector, development organizations, and others support women’s equal and active participation in the green economy and ensure that women’s green jobs are decent jobs?
Answer 2: Solar Sister's experience has shown that it IS very much possible to create thriving green jobs for women and girls. That said, increased participation for women's engagement across clean energy supply chains and as consumers will call for a) Making Investments in training and capacity building encompassing technology, business and leadership skills b) Forging Innovative public-private-people partnerships to increase awareness and achieve impact at scale. For example, Solar Sister is presently focusing efforts in Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria – we welcome women’s groups, government organizations and international groups like UN Women to join our efforts to reach many more women c) Supporting existing women leaders through recognition and support d) Create a pipeline of emerging women leaders for the future green economy through emphasis on STEM education, girls and clean tech; mentoring opportunities and public awareness campaigns that showcase women have the power!
Question 3: What barriers prevent women entrepreneurs and workers from entering, progressing and remaining in the green economy and green industries? How can these barriers be removed?
Answer 3: Barriers relate to a) need for market linkages and opportunities across the supply chain b) need to capital support for women entrepreneurs and organizations c) addressing skills and green jobs training gap d) And finally , bringing a paradigm shift in the perception of women's capability and role in a building a strong green economy at local, regional and international level.
We invite you to hear Solar Sister's "Stories of Change" directly from our women entrepreneurs through our YouTube channel:
1) Opportunity meets Solar Sister Oportuna
2) Dairy farmer Solar Sister Teresia shares impact of her green business
3) Solar Sister Hawa Chora shares her story of light, hope and opportunity
That's interesting, Itiraf. Are you going to try to involve some financing institutions in the platform also? And what are the particular characteristics of the women's cooperative model?
Where are there other examples?
Hi Helen,
There is some successful examples regarding women platforms that work for women, in Occupied Palestine, Bisan Center for Research and Development have worked to re-innovate the women cooperative model, in new way that built on the deep experience in the past with needed things in the current and to the future, this model is working well and is promising…
As a part of this model of the women cooperatives, we developed a local experience and built on it a networking model between cooperatives and CBOs and the local actors upon the local community level, this networking model, is helping in organizing collective debate, exchanging experiences, and to organize the advocacy and the campaigns…
I think the main challenge for this model, the financing issues to make it enogh mature to be productive, then it will be sustained.. but the experience is giving us good signs…
Thanks for picking up that crucial aspect of 'it has to fit the local circumstances', Guergana. Probably to be most effective, platforms need to be partly Sunday market place, but extend also to other institutions that can indeed help to channel whatever support - financial, technical or business - is needed at the grassroots.
SEED runs an annual awards scheme that is open to start-up social and environmental enterprises that are locally-led and operate in partnerships. Those partnerships can include, for example, community-based organisations, local government, a private company, or research and finance institutions. But we do not always know how the partners find each other in the first place. Are there examples out there of platforms that are really working for women, and what are their characteristics?
That is a very valid question Helen and one that I would answer with a firm "yes", but only if these special platforms are designed around the existing cultural, environmental and logistical constraints of the community that they are meant to serve. This might mean that a "special platform" that connects and supports women in rural communities resembles more a Sunday market place than a Facebook group for instance. It can be a mobile media/library center that in essence would be a bus with bookshelves and a wireless router that could serve the role of partnership matchmaker. Whatever the solution concept is, it has to take into consideration the constraints of the context in which it operates. Those constraints most often are: patchy or non existent internet connection, lack of computer literacy skills, lack of literacy, cultural and social norms and taboos, lack of political will and lack of basic infrastructure.
I would like to offer a few thoughts in response to points raised by the Avaba Initiative:
SEED conducted a 3-year study into start-up social and environmental enterprises, and one of the findings was that women find it more difficult than men to access business and technology support services. We did not get a picture as to why that is. But maybe one fruitful approach is to work in and through partnerships with other organisations that can help to tap into and funnel the expertise to where it is needed. Partnership building is often a real strength of women and could contribute to overcoming these difficulties, at least in part. And they then need not depend so much on top down, outreach activities.
The question then becomes how women entrepreneurs can find suitable partners, particularly for women in rural communities and/or very much in the start-up phase. Could there be a role for special platforms here?
Suman is talking about a vital topic, it is very important to be addressed in all the developing countries. The social protection’s programs are good method especially in developing new green based economic project that are sensitive to the gender needs.
And this also needs to develop well the education system to incorporate the needed high quality of education to insure the outputs of having high qualification in the vocational and managerial side, that are highly needed as knowledge and techniques to run these schemes. And in the education system itself, the laws and the policies is to be based on gender equality, to ensure the participation of women and not to exclude her.
So these programs remind us again with high needed role to the governments to govern and regulate the other actors’ role to avoid the social costs that the monopolists creat.
Apart from the barriers already listed in response to Question 3 by my fellow Knowledge Gateway members, a key barrier towards the creation of green economies in developing countries is governmental corruption and lack of basic understanding of what a green economy really is that stunts the nations progress towards a green economy.
In Pakistan for example, a two-day national consultation was held with key stakeholders such as governmental and UN representatives to discuss what a green economy means for Pakistan. Disappointingly, no consensus could be reached on what a green economy even means for the country.
If the government was to ever even reach an understanding of what a green economy is, corrupt power players in the country would thwart any efforts towards a green economy. For example, a key step would be to address the energy crisis, especially in terms of electricity, but since much of the crisis is caused by unfair and overloaded use of electricity by those with power and influence, no real action will be taken.
Nor in Pakistan are there any substantial micro-investment and seed funding programs that would financially empower women entrepreneurs to start businesses that implement green practices. A big barrier therefore to the implementation of a green economy in general is governmental mismanagement.
I agree with Avabe initiative in general, that the main issue is in the inequality and the empowerment, but I think we have to be clearer in in suggesting the solutions, on the deferent levels and in defining the deferent roles of the actors in the socio political and economic life:
The fundamental issues here are inequality and empowerment. In 2011, it was reported that on average across OECD countries, 60% of women were in the labour force compared to 72% of men. Around 25% of women in employment worked part-time, compared to only 9% of employed men. Among full-time employees, women earned on average 15% less than men.
Seemingly, streamlining these issues will help women living in poverty areas benefit from the green economy. However, we at Avabe Initiative for Community Development are of the opinion that the kind of green economy that could work for women varies in accordance with location, culture and religion. In the Northern part of Nigeria for instance where we work women are beginning to go into Animal husbandry, local industrialization such as soap, cream and beads making which are yielding results. For sustainability, Avabe Initiative now complements these activities with literacy education to enhance their awareness and educate them on their right. Going forward they will be able to use computer and internet facilities on a higher level.
We recommend that Government, private sectors and other development partners should endeavour to support women by building their educational and social capacity through which they could favourably compete with their men counterpart thereby minimizing the fundamental issues earlier highlighted above.
Government, as a bigger umbrella should also create enabling environment for the private and development organizations/partners through which they could professionally assist these women and by extension sustain their set desires.
The private sectors and development organizations should again in the interest of humanitarian services and objectivity judiciously implement and utilize such funds earmarked for the project or activities as agreed with government and donors.
Donors and Government should intensify efforts in identifying developmental organizations that are working towards addressing these issues raised and supportive to women economically that subsequently turn them self-reliant. These National and local organizations identified should also be assisted in areas of capacity building and funding to enable them expand in operations.
The major barriers to sustainable women development and self-reliance are:
Lack of education deterred women from their right to accessing education, opportunities, finance and capacity building etc.
Lack of confidence is another barrier that makes them stand inferior to men.
Lack of accessibility to fund to implement the acquired skills after a woman eventually gets the skills. Or lack of lack of opportunity to build capacity on the skills already acquired.
The rigidity of financial institutions couple with some financial policies of the government in regards to loans and sourcing of raw materials is a herculean task for women to achieve.
Poor state of social infrastructure to aid production activities and high level of corruption seems unbearable for the women.
These barriers can be removed through recommendations presented under Question 1 and 2 above.
In response to Question 1: Women would most definitely benefit from a green economy that would enforce regulation of the extractive industries, clamp down on government corruption and inaction, promote sustainable development, protect human rights and preserve the environment.
The women of eastern DRC have suffered displacement, repeated sexual violence, loss of livelihood and constant threats of harm against themselves and their families. Many of these harsh realities are a direct result of mining related conflicts in the region. Resources like timber, diamonds, copper, gold, and cobalt are illegally extracted, mismanaged and sold on the global market, mostly to the benefit of foreign companies and armed groups. In recent years, thousands of women in the eastern region of North and South Kivu reported cases of multiple rapes and sexual assaults. There are persistent reports of children as young as five years old being abducted and forced to work in hazardous conditions in the mines. It is no coincidence that these devastating crimes are occurring in such close proximity to natural resource wealth.
The DRC has a vast potential for a transition to a green economy with the highest level of biodiversity in Africa, half of Africa’s forests and water resources and trillion-dollar mineral reserves. As stated in earlier posts, a green economy creates jobs and inclusive industries for women such as eco-tourism. Women in this region in particular would benefit from better regulation and management of the extractive industries and the safety and security that a transition to a green economy could produce.
The fundamental issues here are inequality and empowerment. In 2011, it was reported that on average across OECD countries, 60% of women were in the labour force compared to 72% of men. Around 25% of women in employment worked part-time, compared to only 9% of employed men. Among full-time employees, women earned on average 15% less than men.
Seemingly, streamlining these issues will help women living in poverty areas benefit from the green economy. However, we at Avabe Initiative for Community Development are of the opinion that the kind of green economy that could work for women varies in accordance with location, culture and religion. In the Northern part of Nigeria for instance where we work women are beginning to go into Animal husbandry, local industrialization such as soap, cream and beads making which are yielding results. For sustainability, Avabe Initiative now complements these activities with literacy education to enhance their awareness and educate them on their right. Going forward they will be able to use computer and internet facilities on a higher level.
We recommend that Government, private sectors and other development partners should endeavour to support women by building their educational and social capacity through which they could favourably compete with their men counterpart thereby minimizing the fundamental issues earlier highlighted above.
Government, as a bigger umbrella should also create enabling environment for the private and development organizations/partners through which they could professionally assist these women and by extension sustain their set desires.
The private sectors and development organizations should again in the interest of humanitarian services and objectivity judiciously implement and utilize such funds earmarked for the project or activities as agreed with government and donors.
Donors and Government should intensify efforts in identifying developmental organizations that are working towards addressing these issues raised and supportive to women economically that subsequently turn them self-reliance.
The major barriers to sustainable women development and self-reliance are:
Lack of education deterred women from their right to accessing education, opportunities, finance and capacity building etc.
Lack of confidence is another barrier that makes them stand inferior to men.
Lack of accessibility to fund to implement the acquired skills after a woman eventually gets the skills. Or lack of lack of opportunity to build capacity on the skills already acquired.
The rigidity of financial institutions couple with some financial policies of the government in regards to loans and sourcing of raw materials is a herculean task for women to achieve.
Poor state of social infrastructure to aid production activities and high level of corruption seems unbearable for the women.
These barriers can be removed through recommendations presented under Question 1 and 2 above.
The fundamental issues here are inequality and empowerment. In 2011, it was reported that on average across OECD countries, 60% of women were in the labour force compared to 72% of men. Around 25% of women in employment worked part-time, compared to only 9% of employed men. Among full-time employees, women earned on average 15% less than men.
Seemingly, streamlining these issues will help women living in poverty areas benefit from the green economy. However, we at Avabe Initiative for Community Development are of the opinion that the kind of green economy that could work for women varies in accordance with location, culture and religion. In the Northern part of Nigeria for instance where we work women are beginning to go into Animal husbandry, local industrialization such as soap, cream and beads making which are yielding results. For sustainability, Avabe Initiative now complements these activities with literacy education to enhance their awareness and educate them on their right. Going forward they will be able to use computer and internet facilities on a higher level.
We recommend that Government, private sectors and other development partners should endeavour to support women by building their educational and social capacity through which they could favourably compete with their men counterpart thereby minimizing the fundamental issues earlier highlighted above.
Government, as a bigger umbrella should also create enabling environment for the private and development organizations/partners through which they could professionally assist these women and by extension sustain their set desires.
The private sectors and development organizations should again in the interest of humanitarian services and objectivity judiciously implement and utilize such funds earmarked for the project or activities as agreed with government and donors.
Donors and Government should intensify efforts in identifying developmental organizations that are working towards addressing these issues raised and supportive to women economically that subsequently turn them self-reliance.
The major barriers to sustainable women development and self-reliance are:
Lack of education deterred women from their right to accessing education, opportunities, finance and capacity building etc.
Lack of confidence is another barrier that makes them stand inferior to men.
Lack of accessibility to fund to implement the acquired skills after a woman eventually gets the skills. Or lack of lack of opportunity to build capacity on the skills already acquired.
The rigidity of financial institutions couple with some financial policies of the government in regards to loans and sourcing of raw materials is a herculean task for women to achieve.
Poor state of social infrastructure to aid production activities and high level of corruption seems unbearable for the women.
These barriers can be removed through recommendations presented under Question 1 and 2 above.
The fundamental issues here are inequality and empowerment. In 2011, it was reported that on average across OECD countries, 60% of women were in the labour force compared to 72% of men. Around 25% of women in employment worked part-time, compared to only 9% of employed men. Among full-time employees, women earned on average 15% less than men.
Seemingly, streamlining these issues will help women living in poverty areas benefit from the green economy. However, we at Avabe Initiative for Community Development are of the opinion that the kind of green economy that could work for women varies in accordance with location, culture and religion. In the Northern part of Nigeria for instance where we work women are beginning to go into Animal husbandry, local industrialization such as soap, cream and beads making which are yielding results. For sustainability, Avabe Initiative now complements these activities with literacy education to enhance their awareness and educate them on their right. Going forward they will be able to use computer and internet facilities on a higher level.
We recommend that Government, private sectors and other development partners should endeavour to support women by building their educational and social capacity through which they could favourably compete with their men counterpart thereby minimizing the fundamental issues earlier highlighted above.
Government, as a bigger umbrella should also create enabling environment for the private and development organizations/partners through which they could professionally assist these women and by extension sustain their set desires.
The private sectors and development organizations should again in the interest of humanitarian services and objectivity judiciously implement and utilize such funds earmarked for the project or activities as agreed with government and donors.
Donors and Government should intensify efforts in identifying developmental organizations that are working towards addressing these issues raised and supportive to women economically that subsequently turn them self-reliance.
The major barriers to sustainable women development and self-reliance are:
Lack of education deterred women from their right to accessing education, opportunities, finance and capacity building etc.
Lack of confidence is another barrier that makes them stand inferior to men.
Lack of accessibility to fund to implement the acquired skills after a woman eventually gets the skills. Or lack of lack of opportunity to build capacity on the skills already acquired.
The rigidity of financial institutions couple with some financial policies of the government in regards to loans and sourcing of raw materials is a herculean task for women to achieve.
Poor state of social infrastructure to aid production activities and high level of corruption seems unbearable for the women.
These barriers can be removed through recommendations presented under Question 1 and 2 above.
On q1) " The Women's Economic Security Campaign" (http://grist.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/wescgreeneconfinal.pdf) undertaken in the USA provides a very useful example of engaging women living in poverty to benefit from green economy. There might be others on similar lines around the world which might need to be actively sought and repertoried. The crux of that exemplar campaign is to use the power of women funds to drive investments specifically in the direction of their engagement in green economy.
Q1 In the handcraft sector many women organisations in West Africa have created jobs by recycling materials into new products
Q2 We know that today's Fair Trade organisations are not that fair as they let people believe for a long time. This is becoming the same with the green "jobs" . Whenever mass production is a target (with extreme low salary costs), decent jobs will only be reserved for the decision makers and managers and not for the workers.
Q3 Green economy is still not well known by most of the (poor) people and a new (hot) item for donors, who want to be (again) the goodies in development. So first people, and especially women, need to be informed by what it means and what they can expect as benefits comparing to the conventional economy. For example the bio-cotton; people don't want it to grow anymore in a lot of countries in West Africa, it takes a lot of investment (physical and financial) and the price per kg is too low to cover these efforts.
So give first the opportunity to the poor to discuss upon what for them means FAIR and GREEN. So many traditional agricultural techniques are very green, but never considered as such by "modern technicians".
In response to the second question raised, here is my opinion on how governments, the private sector and other development organizations/ entities can support women participation in green economy:
-Government and other stakeholders can also help by subdising farm inputs and educating them on post harvest management and marketing and help them to reduce the intermediaries on the agricultural product value chain.
- Women should be given a voice in issues relating to issues concerning them. Decisions shouldn’t be made for them but with them because only they can know where the shoe pinches.
- Supporting systems should be put in place by government to ensure that women can play a big role in contributing immensely to green economy.
- Climate change negotiations should be made bearing in mind issues affecting women entrepreneurs
- More access to credit should be given.
- Climate change policy makers should ensure that human rights value and ethics are taken into congisance the act of making equitable responses that will favour women entrepreneurs and business holders
- Reliable access to the internet in developing society will also help to foster the growth of green economy and provide more jobs for women in local economy. An example of such in Africa is. iCow , Esoko and Rural eMarket and they have been able to contribute to immense contribution to providing jobs for people among other things.
Hello, Everyone!
I have been following with great interest your views related to the on-going discussion and wish to add a few perspectives from my side as the green economy is a new notion to the most part of Central Asia yet very challenging and promising. A lot can be said on the subject, however, I shall limit myself to the following:
Question 1: In what ways can women, in particular women living in poverty, benefit from the green economy? Do you have examples of the green economy working for women?
It can be suggested that green economy with environmentally-friendly policies, practices and activities which as the logical outcome will revamp natural resources, will differ from country to country and yield different responses to the idea of “greening” economy and produce different results in the way that women benefit of it. In Central Asia and particularly in Kyrgyzstan, one can witness new trends in greening the economy with wind and solar power installations, more locally grown and sustainably produced food, retrofitting buildings and transportation to be more energy efficient, and ensuring new infrastructure construction is energy efficient. Substantial new opportunities for women participation in green economy are being created in the private and public sector by growing organic food and cotton, introducing ecotourism and crafting. Of course, these activities are still at the early stages; nevertheless, there is already a growing number of empirical evidence showing that organic production in agriculture can remove entry barriers (especially in cotton) for women and yield economic and health benefits and impact positively on food security. Green supply chains within holistic approaches of sustainable and inclusive ecotourism offer essential opportunities for the economic participation of women, especially in the area of crafts. It is also a very encouraging trend that more women are in the managerial positions. For instance, 25 percent of women involved in the BioCotton project supported by the Swiss organization “Helvetas”,( which started in 2004 with 58 farmers and over the years the number increased up to almost one thousand farmers), are managers and decision makers. Furthermore, women benefit of greening economy because of the economic benefits (for instance organic food and cotton have higher selling prices); improved health and increased soil fertility.
Question 2: How can governments, the private sector, development organizations, and others support women’s equal and active participation in the green economy and ensure that women’s green jobs are decent jobs?
The governments (both national and local) must begin by assessing the gender gaps in green jobs and develop relevant programs and policies. While it is widely accepted that persistent gender gaps are a consequence of culture, gender stereotypes, policy and legal frameworks, and economic factors, it is necessary to build an inclusive green economy that is equitable and sustainable. This effort will require carefully designed policies and targeted investments from private sector that enable low (poor) and middle-income communities to contribute to and benefit from the transition from brown economy to green. Of particular importance is the need for governance and policy reforms that extend to poor people secure rights over the environmental assets that sustain their livelihoods and well-being. It is also necessary to ensure a greater women voice in decisions affecting how these assets are managed. Moreover, national governments, donors, and major development banks can take measures available to them to ensure fair labor practices and other policies to narrow gender discrepancies.
Question 3: What barriers prevent women entrepreneurs and workers from entering, progressing and remaining in the green economy and green industries? How can these barriers be removed?
Gender specific barriers, that prevent women’s active participation in the green economy and green industries, are deeply rooted in gender roles and norms. One of the major constraints to women’s green economic participations is lack of time, because women have to take care of the household and attend a paid work. Other obstacle to greening economy is women’s limited access to productive inputs, such as know-how, land, finances, technology and equipment. In addition, women often lack comprehensive information on markets, price developments and consumer preferences, which are essential to meet changing demands and (green) market developments. Another barrier for women to get into green jobs is prevailing gender differences in education and fields of study that do not correspond with the skills needed in the emerging green economy. Furthermore, the green jobs often carry the same challenges as brown such as discrimination, injustice, inequality, inadequate working conditions etc.
To remove these barriers and to ensure greater female participation in the green jobs it is necessary to introduce special quotas for hiring female staff for green jobs and programs which are anti-discriminatory with family-friendly policies; provide specialized women training programs for green jobs, reduce gender-based job segmentation and gender wage gaps . As women need to secure and protect their rights it is necessary to organize women professional unions in the green economy.
Regarding Q1: the women benefit from the green economy through many ways, the following are some ideas had been developed from the local experience:
Q3: I very much agree with Suman and the barriers she cites that prevent women entrepreneurs from entering, progressing and remaining in the green economy and green industries. They are indeed multidimensional in character as they are not only funding related, but knowledge/skills, cultural/tradition and access/network related as well. Still, I believe that the first step of overcoming such a complex set of challenges is access to high-quality education. Having said that, I would like to clarify that I don't necessarily mean to imply that only a traditional school environment can provide high-quality education. On the contrary, entrepreneurs usually learn best through experiential learning and in an open access forum/arena of like-minded, idea driven, change-makers. Think, start-up incubators! They provide such high-quality education environments AND necessary resources as mentoring, initial funding and skill building. Therefore, providing the necessary conditions for experiential and peer-to-peer learning forums to take shape is in my opinion the most efficient way to begin to overcome the barriers that stand before many women entrepreneurs. After all this is how the hi-tech private sector did it in San Francisco and New York City, so why re-invent the wheel when we can just adapt it to the local context that we work in?
On q3) The barriers remain in several layers - skills, access to technology and finance, mentor / marketing support and lack of emulation worthy role models. Coupled with this, the dual burden of work-life and striking a definitive balance, the social pressures of exclusion and most importantly the industries transition themselves. The barriers reduction calls forth action across one/more of the above persistent layers....The Global Clean Cook stoves Alliance for instance is making exemplary efforts to address one/more the barriers cited. The UNFCCC MfC-Women for Results is another exemplar in the direction. But , fundamentally such initiatives need to reach critical mass to have substantial impact.
In regards to Question 1, according to a report from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), it seems like women have a strong presence in tourism. If that presence can be transferred to/strengthened in ecotourism, then women can benefit from the green economy.
The report cited mentions only one example:
Is it possible that most women's roles in ecotourism are artisanal (e.g. Cooperativa de Artesanas de Santa Elena y Monteverde in Costa Rica), even though women's roles in tourism are more service than manufacturing/craft-based? If so, then perhaps ecotourism is able to reach women who are otherwise unable to participate in the tourism industry. Or, perhaps there is another barrier to women taking on more traditional tourism roles in the sub-area of ecotourism?
Of course, there are many more ways for women to take advantage of the green economy, outside of ecotourism--this is merely one area that came to mind.
Women, in particular women living in poverty, can benefit from the green economy by having better access to a sustainable way to make a living.
In January, I had the privilege of visiting the Doi Tung project in northern Thailand, where local villagers have stopped cultivating opium in favor of selling certain agricultural products (e.g., coffee), eco-tourism and handicrafts. In the process, devastating slash-and-burn forestry practices have slowed down, and women and children no longer have to resort to prostitution to survive. They have better health care and food security, and a dignified way to earn their income, in a greener environment. A beautiful model of sustainable development, which was truly inspiring - more on the project, which has since expanded to Myanmar, Afghanistan and Indonesia, here:
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/doi-tung-thinking-outside-the-box.html
Green economies can benefit women in multiple ways. Evidence from the field includes UNIDO’s energy efficient cook stoves project in Burkina Faso’s beer breweries. These breweries are an important source of income for women in the country, and introducing locally manufactured improved stoves supports women in significantly maximizing their economic gains: such stoves allow for more efficient production, while at the same time reducing expenditures on fuel wood. In addition, energy efficient stoves pose less health risks and as such have an additional positive, indirect effect on businesses. Furthermore, the introduction of energy efficient cook stoves in Burkina Faso’s breweries creates a more secure working environment and reduces the level of drudgery experienced by women and girls. In the specific context of this project, switching to a greener economic model also facilitates women’s access to credit to purchase improved stoves as well as to business and knowledge gateways.
Yet, beyond these direct positive impacts on their own lives, including women in green businesses ultimately benefits the society as a whole! Indeed, when men and women become more equal, economies grow faster, fewer people remain in poverty, and overall well-being increases. Studies have suggested that raising female employment to male levels can have a direct impact on GDP growth rates, increasing it by as much as 34% in some countries, and that countries’ productivity can increase by as much as 25% if discriminatory barriers against women are removed.
Despite this, however, women continue to face obstacles in engaging in green businesses or entrepreneurship. In many developing countries for instance, women have restricted access to credit and/or land, which is needed to become entrepreneurs and set-up and maintain green businesses. Furthermore, limited access to information, education, and career advice restricts their engagement in the economic sector in many places. In addition, combining reproductive tasks with business poses a challenge for many women. An example is the limited availability of childcare services in general, which poses an even greater issue for many poor families who cannot afford assistance.
It is apparent that the barriers women face are manifold and different in kind. One innovative response mechanism that incentivizes addressing such obstacles and investing in women is the SEED Gender Equality Award. The objective of this joint award supported by UN Women, UNIDO and the international law firm Hogan Lovells is to showcase promising social and environmental businesses that are women-led or owned, and prioritizes gender equality or women’s empowerment as a core objective. The SEED Gender Equality Award winners, identified through an international competition targeting development countries and emerging economies, receive professional assistance to further strengthen and continuously improve innovative concepts to sustainable development, gender equality and women’s empowerment. In 2013, the gender equality award was given to two businesses from Latin America: “Life Out Of Plastic” is a 100% women- owned organization that designs and sells green products such as reusable bags and fleece made from rPET fibre - a textile derived from bottle recycling. “PROVOKAME” produces innovative 100% biodegradable plates, made from natural fibres and recycled paper, which are also implanted with seeds. The enterprise trains and employs local women living in rural areas in the plate production process.
Despite focusing on entrepreneurship in general (vs. green economies in particular), the 2013 working paper prepared by Saskia Vossenberg from the Maastricht School of Management, presents a good overview of barriers women face in engaging in entrepreneurship and presents options to address these. In addition, UNIDO’s brochure “Empowering women: fostering entrepreneurship” provides examples of creative industries that empower women.
By encouraging investment in women-owned green businesses, strengthening female networks, improving access to markets and providing training, technology and clean energy solutions, UNIDO is promoting inclusive and sustainable industrial development. I very much look forward to reading about the experiences from other practitioners, especially green entrepreneurs and workers, and to continue working together towards green industries that work for women!