By Our Senior Contributor

Monrovia- March 19, 2022:The First Lady of the Republic of Liberia MADAM CLAR MARIE WEAH has openly disclosed that the Focal Point of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for Liberia (UNFCCC) at the EPA, underscores the issue of climate change as one of the major threats to the development of Liberia.

She made the disclosure Thursday, March 17, 2022, while delivering her keynote massage through a Zoom call at Liberia’s Side-Event United Nations’ 66th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 66) at the Ellen Johnson ministerial Complex in Congo town.

The event is held under the theme “Examining the Impact of Climate Change on Women & Girls in Liberia.”

For her part, Women are dominant users of natural resources such as land and water at the household level in Liberia, hence any impact of climate change is going to have an impact on them significantly.

In her address to the (CSW 66) conference, She asserts that the UNFCCC Focal Point for Liberia also Acknowledges the need to ensure climate change adaptation planning in the country that addresses the gender imbalance between men and women, boys and girls.

“As I have traveled across Liberia, I see that many women and girls now have to walk further from their homes to fetch water because the usual nearby creeks and wells are dried up due to the effects of climate change. This also affects their livelihood because they fish in the creeks for fish and set their baskets to catch shrimps. Additionally, their farms and gardens are affected due to the lack of water which gives less agricultural yielding and threatens their food security. We must indeed work together to mitigate these harmful effects of climate change.” She noted

Madam Clar Weah With the Understanding that Climate Change’s effects can be even more devastating on women and girls, pointed out that her office has made several interventions that specifically seek to achieve gender equality and empowerment for all women and girls in the country.

According to her, the Clar Hope Foundation and her office last year visited some group of women-fishmonger in the New Kru Town area on Bushrod Island to encourage them to become dynamic by purchasing land and constructing a facility for the preservation (smoking and drying) of fish which will further increase supplies on the domestic market and empower Liberian women economically.

The first lady continue that her office and the Clar foundation have also launched a program to teach girls about menstrual hygiene where sanitary napkins and kits were provided to girls across Liberia, thereby giving them a certain level of empowerment in their lives.

“Just a few days ago on International Women’s Day, the United Nations World Food Program warned that Women and girls, especially in rural communities, continue to face the brunt of the climate crisis that exacerbates pre-existing inequalities, jeopardizes their food security, and feeds instability and migration. Liberia must and will continue to do something about this.” She noted

Furthermore, she emphasise that The UNWFP went a bit further by saying that Women and girls often lack appropriate access to early warning and disaster information, financial services, and participation in community decision-making and resource allocation. “Such inequalities undermine the ability of women to prepare for, cope with and recover from climate shocks and stresses.”

With the prevailing situation of Climate Change, she asserts that they have traveled to and counseled women and girls in many counties across Liberia, listening to their stories and providing contextualized support that would see them empowered for change and transformation in their own lives and their communities.

” In all that we do, women and girls must be included in the decision and policy-making processes, for it is only when women and girls are included and given what they need to adapt to the changing climate we can say that progress is being made towards a sustainable future.”

Meanwhile, she Hails the Gander Minister for showcasing solutions that are sustainable, women-led, safe, promote women’s participation, and do not increase the potential for conflict.

According to her, that is what the pro-poor Government seeks to do in Liberia and she’s extremely proud to be associated with the people of Liberia and the Gender Ministry that places the issues of women and girls amidst climate change as a priority.

The Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister Madame Williametta E. Saydee-Tarr say The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal intergovernmental body, which is straightly dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. and as Head of Liberia’s Delegation on the sixty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66) It remains a strong advocate in promoting gender equality at the societal level and leads on monitoring and reviewing progress and challenges in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, amongst other gender-related issues.

Continuing that Annually, a delegation from member states of the United Nations, mostly women, participate in meetings to design new strategies that will build networks and formulate ideas about ways to fight inequalities and work towards women empowerment globally.

She says, this takes place at the UN Headquarters in New York but due to the emergence of COVID-19, there are restrictions on accessing the premises of the UN Headquarters. There leading member states to host their side events virtually.

“The theme of the (CSW66) Examining the Impact of Climate Change on Women & Girls in Liberia is of significance and timeliness. Given the entrenchment of gender inequalities in our society and around the world today, it is important to examine the consequences of intensifying and interlinked crises such as climate change, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, pollution, disasters, and zoonotic diseases or pandemics such as COVID-19, and the concomitant marginalization of the voice, agency, participation, and leadership of women, girls and gender diverse people and their movements from policy, governance, and decision-making processes and responses to these global challenges.” She emphasizes.

Meanwhile, the County Director of UN Women in Liberia laud the panelists for their meaningful discussion adding that all that was raised during the panel discussion is important for Liberia.

According to her climate change is affecting everyone and as Liberians “we have to look at it both Globally and internally in other to find a solution to the problem.”

She claims the IPCC report will keep getting worse if nothing is done about climate change in Liberia. therefore what are Liberians doing to preserve their forest?

” the only way to fight climate change and the challenges that women face is to take action towards ending climate change.” She noted