More on connections between women and climate change

Yesterday I watched a PBS program on climate actions in different parts of the world.  One on India spoke of the longtime tradition of prizing boy children over girl children who are often unwanted, devalued, and sometimes killed at birth, resulting in many few females than males.  This is and was true despite the fact that women did almost all the work, always giving more to the family. 

In one village there was a different story.

The head of the village had lost his beloved daughter and grieved deeply his loss.  Thinking what he might do to honor her, he thought of how girlchildren must be honored in his village  When a girl was born he told the whole village they must plant trees, 110 trees for each girlchild born.  And so it happened, the honoring of the girl who was to become the woman, who was honored,  and the planting of trees which transformed the village and its surroundings from a barren wasteland to a bountiful, beautiful forest wilderness, rich in life, in diversity.  More food, more medicinal plants, a healthy environment, and women feeling their worth.

Different organizations have always recognized that the education of women was one of essential elements in climate change: educating women leading to education of their children, to choosing reproductive health and family planning, to population control.   

The week before, on the same PBS, there was a focus on a community in Africa where women who were strong leaders in their villages were offered a 6 month program in solar panels--in construction and installation.  The women learned, returned to their villages, and taught others, installing solar panels throughout their communities.

The spread--of education, of knowledge.  Women sowing seeds of change..