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EFFORT BY SIAYA MUUNGANO TO SUPPORT WOMEN AND GIRLS IN CURENT CLIMATE CHANGES
Date: 25-11-2022
Siaya Muungano Network (SIMUN) is a women’s right and youth development organization working as a Community-Based Organization (CBO), not-for-profit and mainly focus on core areas of promoting Gender Equality, Civic Education, Good Governance and Accountability, Economic Empowerment for Women, and Youth Community and Health Education & Advocacy. Siaya Muungano Network was registered on 12th July 2013 under the laws of
Kenya is a Community-Based Organization in the department of social services with registration number- SC/SYA/TW/CBO/0012. It focuses on advocacy, building women and youth movements on the grass root, facilitating community forums and discussions in various spheres of development and public participation, budget advocacy and accountability, and championing women's inclusion in decision-making and governance.
Across the world, women depend mostly on natural resources in terms of food, fuel, and water. Siaya County is not left out. Most of the time you will find women in agriculture, burning charcoal/fetching firewood, and also carrying water to their homes for domestic use. The current climatic changes which have led to drought have made it harder for these women to secure income and resources for their families. The pressure has been added more on the girls making them drop out of school to assist their mothers to manage the increased burden
Climate change is a “threat multiplierâ€. This means that it escalates social, political, and economic tensions within the community. Women and girls remain 2ethe most vulnerable to all sorts of gender base violence which include child marriages, and sexual violence among other forms of violence. Climate change also endangers the health of women and girls and talks of issues related to maternal health like stillbirths and even menstrual health.
This is why the Siaya Muungano network engages a lot with other WROs, CSOs, formal community structures and Siaya county government on Climate Change Act, 2021.
On 24th November this year, with the support of Akina Mama wa Afrika under Voices For Just Climate Action, were in Central Gem within Siaya County to train women on sustainable agriculture as an adaptation measure to climate change. This activity entailed women being taught sustainable agricultural methods as local solutions to climate change that they can apply to ensure food security and was integrated with accountability forums on climate change initiatives by the County Government of Siaya where the targeted women played an oversight role in the implementation of climate change initiatives.
Sustainable agriculture refers to practices that preserve the soil and environment and at the same time produce maximum benefits for a farmer ensuring that the next generations can meet their needs. Sustainable agricultural practices included;
• Minimum tillage/conservation tillage
• Integrated pest management Crop rotation
• Good agro-economic practices
• Soil and fodder conservation
• Conservation agriculture
• Planting cover crops
• Use of compost manure
• Irrigation methods on planting bags which are cost-friendly.