Women and girls represent 72% of all people living in extreme poverty in the world. Research shows that, as a result of this and the combination of a series of other socio-economic and cultural factors, they are today the biggest victims of disasters caused by extreme weather events such as floods and hurricanes.
Mexican researcher Úrsula Oswald Spring, in an interview with FAPESP, explains why girls and women are most affected: "Worldwide, they represent 72% of the extreme poor and, without financial resources, it is very difficult to cope with the impacts of extreme weather events. In addition, women have been brought up to take care of others and so we have taken on the role of 'mother of all'. This process also makes us more vulnerable, because we have the role of protecting others first and then worrying about ourselves. Behind all this, an exclusionary political system has persisted for thousands of years, reinforced by all religious beliefs, called the patriarchal system, which precepts the authority of one being - the man - resulting in a lot of violence, exclusion and discrimination against women. Capitalism, in turn, took advantage of the patriarchal system and built a vertical, exclusionary, authoritarian and violent system, which has allowed 1,200 men to command half of the entire planet today and women to have little power of decision and veto on issues that directly affect them."
The researcher defends the importance of enabling women to have access to sustainable technologies that allow them, for example, to protect themselves from the risks of disasters caused by extreme weather events.
Nadine Gasman, representative of UN Women Brazil, points out the decisive role of women's leadership, especially rural women, in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN: "There is a lot to learn from family production, solidarity economy strategies, new forms of productive organization, fishing, sustainable plant extraction, ways of life in quilombos, indigenous villages or settlements. Brazilian women have a lot to say and teach," she said.
THEM for a fair and sustainable environment
The ELAS Fund invests in promoting a fair and sustainable environment and supports organizations such as ACESA - Associação Comunitária de Educação em Saúde e Agricultura, which operates in the city of Bacabal, Maranhão.
A ACESA é uma organização de agricultoras e agricultores fundada em 2006 para organizar a luta por seus direitos e por uma reforma agrária justa e solidária. Promove formação sociopolítica, ambiental, saúde, cultura e geração de renda pautada por princípios agroecológicos. Com o projeto “Mulheres agricultoras: Combatendo a violência, construindo cidadania”, apoiado pelo Fundo ELAS, a ACESA empoderou as mulheres da região através de palestras sobre as diferentes formas de violência contra