By Holly Royce In the developed world, in countries like Australia, it is our lifestyles and consumption choices that are the big issues in the way that we impact on climate change. However, in the developing world, dealing with the affects of climate change is a matter of survival - especially for women and children.
A recent article from the Huffington post explains further:
“Living in a country that is alarmingly exposed to the impacts of climate change, these women from Bangladesh’s southern regions represent some of the country’s most vulnerable people. Their homes and livelihoods face a constant threat from cyclones and floods, as well as both soil and surface water salinity. Thousands of victims were devastated by cyclones in the last decade, whose repercussions are still felt in affected communities today."
This is where BRAC comes in.
BRAC is development success story, spreading solutions born in Bangladesh to 10 other countries around the world – a global leader in creating opportunity for the world’s poor and empowering women to become agents of change within their communities.
The Huffington Post states:
"With these pressing issues in mind, and the concern that women are significantly more affected by natural disasters than men, BRAC’s disaster, environment and climate change (DECC) program recently launched a new initiative aimed at reducing the vulnerability of women affected by climate change through viable livelihood options. A combined effort of the DECC program, the Norwegian Embassy and other partners, the initiative aims at alleviating the status of many others like Karia and Helena by granting them a voice and providing them with a sustainable livelihood option, thereby increasing their social mobility."
The video below shares some of the stories from some extraordinary women who, through BRAC, have been able to change their lives and the lives of women around them.
We are pushing are environment to the limit by trying to keep up our current throwaway consumer lifestyle.
These women are working together to become agents of change for things our lifestyles, not theirs, have contributed to. Let's join them in working together to help stop dangerous climate change.
We are daughters, mothers, sisters and grandmothers getting on with practical climate action to live better for us and the planet. Join the movement at www.1millionwomen.com.au