When endorsed by Parliament, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammad, Minister-Designate for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, has promised to increase the participation of women in efforts to mitigate climate change and promote environmental sustainability.
He stressed that women are disproportionately impacted by climate change and the vital role they play in tackling environmental issues during his appearance before the parliament’s Appointments Committee yesterday.
He promised that women would take the lead in environmental protection and climate action under his direction.
“We will make women play a lead role in this journey because climate change affects them too. Including women in climate action is a must for me,” he stated.
“Climate change exacerbates gender inequalities, particularly in rural areas, where women often struggle with limited access to clean water and sanitation facilities after disasters.” Mr. Murtala Muhammad said.
He pointed out that in addition to current emergencies, women’s health was at risk from air pollution and warming temperatures in the long run.
His ministry would devise ways to address these issues by aggressively engaging women in climate adaption initiatives, wherever they may be. He said these issues needed immediate attention.
“We will not sit down until it is too late,” he assured.
The minister-designate also emphasized that the climate problem was not “gender neutral” and that environmental degradation posed particular risks to the safety, health, and livelihoods of women and girls.
In order to tackle this, he stated that if accepted, the outfit will give priority to projects that enable women to make significant contributions to climate solutions, with an emphasis on rural regions.
The minister-designate emphasized the need for more women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education in addition to climate action.
He also bemoaned the social constraints that kept many girls from pursuing higher education in these fields, especially in rural areas.
He also noted that in certain communities, girls were forced to leave school while boys continued their education, a situation that needs to be reversed.
In order to inspire girls to pursue STEM fields and reach their full potential, he also promised to step up awareness initiatives, especially in Ghana’s rural areas.
In order to be regarded as a results-driven and methodical leader, he added, “We must ensure we yield the intended results for the Affirmative Action law,”
In order to prepare the next generation of women to assume leadership positions in environmental sustainability and scientific innovation, he restated his commitment to increasing girls’ involvement in science courses.
Source: newsthemegh.com