Ms Nilofar Bakhtiar, Chairperson of National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), in collaboration with UNDP held provincial consultations with stakeholders today in Avari Towers, Karachi. The discussions focused on the worsening climate crisis and how existing gender inequalities aggravate climate change impacts, directly affecting women.
The theme of the consultations is aligned with the upcoming 66th Session of the Global Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in March. Similar consultations were held previously in Punjab, GB and KPK. These consultations provided a platform to the policy practitioners, gender and climate change experts and representatives of the governments to discuss and solicit feedback on ways to reduce the impacts of climate stress on women and other marginalized factions. Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson NCSW, Ms Nilofar Bakhtiar said,“The issue of climate change affects women on the same level as education and health. Various reports have revealed that women are the worst affected by climate change hazards.”
Climate change impacts in Sindh has manifold manifestations, ranging from scarce vegetation to drying riverbeds. In particular, effect of rising ocean temperatures and ocean acidification on the livelihood of fishermen was discussed at length. Marine fishing accounts for 59% of fish catch in Pakistan and marine shrimps are a source of foreign exchange. Consultation elaborated on proposed policy measures which included developing climate resilient, high yielding fish varieties, conducting training programs on sustainable fishing techniques to equip fisherwomen with the necessary skillsets and implementing regulatory policies to protect natural habitats of fishes including mangroves and terrestrial ecosystems.
The consultations ended on a positive note with Ms Nilofar Bakhtiar thanking all the stakeholders for their active participation in this important venture.
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