WOMEN: Makers of Sustainable Communities and cities

Women support their families through labour, preserve traditional knowledge (thus great story tellers), maintain biodiversity and ensure household food security and nutrition. Despite their critical roles, women in poverty are said to suffer most from the effect of climate change due to fluctuating commodity prices and natural disasters like drought and famine because most of them are farmers.

With this year’s theme for the International forest day as Forest and sustainable cities, EDEN recognized the critical role women can play to ensure sustainability in our communities first from the family unit. Thus she saw it appropriate to celebrate this year’s forest day with them.

EDEN enlightened them on what makes a city or community sustainable while reminding them of the important role they can play in making this happen. Their perspectives on how they see a forest or natural environment were challenged and they were encouraged also with stories of what other women are doing in their various homes to ensure that they are sustainable.

Mrs Blessing Greg (a participant) shared her experience with using briquettes made from paper having learnt that from one of EDEN’s programmes in 2016. She used these paper briquettes for three days after making them which saved her from spending on cooking gas for that period.

Women are top influencing agent in their various home and they always make decisions they make decisions for their family. On this day, EDEN encouraged the women to set example of sustainable lifestyle in their family so that with time their family members and the communities where they live will in turn be transformed by the examples they had shown.