Linnette Vassell November 23, 2010
SCENARIOS FROM JAMAICA “EVERY YEAR WE LOSE SOMETHING - FROM DROUGHT, STORM OR FLOOD, BUT BECAUSE WE ARE FARMERS, WE HAVE TO STICK WITH IT” - Ms. Joan Buchanan, Trinityville, St. Thomas, Jamaica, speaking of her experience of increase of extreme weather events.
SCENARIOS FROM JAMAICA Drought for six months before followed by three days of flooding in September 2010 left 14 persons dead and US$245 in damage mainly to infrastructure and agriculture. These are prime examples of recent extreme weather events in Jamaica. Damage to infrastructure affects both men and women adversely and in some instances, quite differently: With farm roads destroyed, male farmers in the Somerset community for example, face high risks from crossing flooded rivers;
SCENARIOS FROM JAMAICA Men risk injury from landslides as they travel to tend their animals; To the risk of their health, men often have to carry the loads to rehabilitate the paths and farms high in the mountains. Men are more linked into the public networks to receive benefits for rehabilitation than women.
SCENARIOS FROM JAMAICA Women in farming have to pay high labour costs to rehabilitate their farms, hence their ability to recover quickly is low; The impact on households from loss of livelihoods, destruction of toilet facilities, increase in diseases, increase on work-load of households particular, is often not counted nor compensated; Women’s safety is compromised when roads and bridges are destroyed and they have to walk long distances and in darkness, especially if they work outside the community.
SCENARIOS FROM JAMAICA Importantly, these pressures on the lives of women and men from the impact of climate change, have to be seen in context of the global recession, IMF conditionalities, and a small open dependent economy as is the case of Jamaica, a Small Island Developing State (SIDS): 90,000 jobs have been lost since 2008 of the 445,000 (16.5% of pop.) living below the poverty line (US$2/day) in 2009, the majority were women.
SCENARIOS FROM JAMAICA 51.6% of rural female household heads have children and no male partner, compared to 5.3% male heads in a similar category. Men own 80%, women own 20% of agricultural land and are holders of smaller plots. Some 10% of the population only has access to untreated sources of water mainly rivers, ponds and wayside tanks for daily use. Drought and floods make provision of water from these sources a major pre-occupation for women in particular.
SCENARIOS FROM JAMAICA With reduced water flow during droughts, the river water becomes stagnant ; washing is difficult, skin diseases increase, especially among children. Women and children walk long distances for water; in many instances, men will ride their bicycles or take transport to fetch water . Nearly 1 million citizens live in informal settlements with inadequate water, sanitation and housing. Pit toilets , used by the majority, are often damaged or destroyed by hurricanes & floods. Open defecation exists in pockets of urban, rural and peri-urban areas.
SCENARIOS FROM JAMAICA Women face higher risks than men in conditions of disaster and in adjusting to the situations described above, because of their higher levels of poverty and dependency, the burden of domestic responsibilities, their confinement to traditional occupations and domestic violence . Climate change is therefore an issue of human security- security of survival, of livelihoods and of dignity.
SCENARIOS FROM JAMAICA Actions being taken to address these issues include: NGOs taking actions through projects and strengthening community based organisations and women’s role in leadership ; Addressing women’s gender interests, eg, labour support grants for women farmers and other adaptation measures: nurseries to produce seedlings for quick replanting after hurricanes; reforestation projects. construction of check dams to contain soil erosion; establishing local disaster management committees.
SCENARIOS FROM JAMAICA Processes to promote public policies include: • Research and sensitization on gender and climate change towards building dialogue on the issues; • The design and promotion of practical proposals to address felt needs, for example, financing mechanisms for the construction of toilets; • Strengthening of the organisation and voice of the poor and of women in particular; • Linking of the agenda of gender and climate change into the broad agenda of women’s movements.
SCENARIOS FROM JAMAICA Challenges or difficulties faced include: Limited advocacy because of resource constraints facing civil society bodies, including those interested in gender and climate change issues; Responsible state agencies seem more focussed more on the ‘scientific ‘ rather than the human aspect of climate change; The low level of organisation of and social support for rural women in particular. This means that their leadership potential while high, is limited by numerous obstacles.
SCENARIOS FROM JAMAICA Systemic gender barriers constrain the best efforts to take a gender-sensitive approach in implementing projects. For example, one community based organisation, led by a female, has received a grant for training and re-forestation in the target area. The grant requires that women should be 60% of beneficiaries. However, the majority of female farmers do not be have formal land tenure arrangements, their recruitment to the project is uncertain. This is evidence of incomplete gender analysis in the project from design stage and into the entire cycle. There is also need for a broader policy intervention.
SCENARIOS FROM JAMAICA What remains to be done? Possible actions include… • Intense and sustained community mobilisation and education and training in a variety of issues for local leaders and the broader community; • Effective and gender-sensitive community facilitation; • Sustained advocacy around gender, climate change and community adaptation; • Local, national and international collaboration to build linkages and community confidence.
SCENARIOS FROM JAMAICA Lessons learned include: • Gender sensitive community organising must become more integrally linked to strategies for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation; • The greater spaces that disaster preparedness and management opens for changes in the traditional roles of men and women, can be sensitively utilized in rehabilitation and reconstruction to promote deeper dialogue on issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment at all levels.
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