Written By CSR Intern: Suhasini Mukherjee
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted by global leaders at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, identified Women and Environment as a critical area of concern. The Platform sought to equip women in order to ensure their active involvement in environmental decision making at all levels, integrate their concerns and perspectives in policies and programmes and establish ways to assess the impact of development and environmental policies on women.
Acknowledging the gendered impact of environment issues as well as encouraging participation of women and girls in protecting and conserving the environment is an essential part of the process of empowerment which we at Centre for Social Research (CSR) strive towards.
The 5th of June, 2015 marked our World Environment Day celebrations at our Gender Resource Centre in partnership with Samajik Suvidha Sangam in Usmanpur in which 155 women and children participated. With the Zila Maha Mantri, Mr. Anil Jain (Chief Guest) and Advocate Asha Sharma gracing the occasion, the day’s events were kicked off by a rally for raising awareness regarding environment issues to the office of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in Ambedkar Dharmshala. This was followed by WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) demonstrations by the facilitators in which participants were asked to wash their hands in the fashion shown to them. A nukad natak (street play) was conducted by the children of the community on the ‘Importance of Hygiene’. Post this, various poster making, quiz and slogan writing competitions were held on the theme of ‘Environment’ for which a prize distribution ceremony was held to felicitate the winners. The day’s activities were facilitated by the Project Coordinator, Mr. Ahmed Nadeem, Community Mobilizer, Ms. Renu Sharma, Educator, Ms. Nisha Kumari and the H.D.C., Ms. Suman Lata.
Such celebrations go a long way in generating awareness about environment issues. Importantly, it encourages women and girls to engage with organisations that propel them into informed decision making and participation in the process of change which they affect as much as the change affects them.
Sources:
- Progress on drinking water and sanitation, Joint Monitoring Programme update 2014, WHO, UNICEF, 2014
- The Millennium Development Goals Report, United Nations, 2012
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