By Asanda Magadla
South Africa is not immune to the climate crisis. These changes are significantly impacting households, particularly women, who are compelled to devise alternative strategies. The Rural Women’s Assembly actively engaged in COP29, held on the 29th of November 2024. While some sisters expressed their support through online interactions, others served as delegates representing the Rural Women’s Assembly at the COP29 summit. Climate Financing holds the potential to greatly benefit women, especially in enhancing support for small-scale farmers. Climate Change has presented persistent challenges in recent years, hindering women from having a platform to articulate their experiences concerning climate-related adversities. Numerous women have endured losses in valuable assets such as livestock and agricultural yield. Disregarding climate change financing could precipitate food security crises across the African continent, resulting in escalated poverty levels and diminished household resilience. As the Rural Women’s Assembly persistently advocates for women’s rights, we remain optimistic that climate financing will be integrated into the upcoming budgetary cycle. Governments must prioritize climate change financing, recognizing that many communities comprise voters who have entrusted their authority and aspirations towards obtaining the services they cast their ballots for.
Despite the hurdles posed by climate change, women in South Africa persist in partaking in endeavors that inspire and empower women within their communities. The sisters of the Rural Women’s Assembly in Limpopo recently orchestrated a Gender-Based Violence awareness campaign in Khaxani village. South Africa contends with the highest rates of Gender-Based Violence, necessitating comprehensive community enlightenment on the underlying factors contributing to GBV. Our dedicated sisters are diligently striving to diminish occurrences of Gender-Based Violence within communities. The unwavering backing provided by the Rural Women’s Assembly plays a pivotal role in these awareness campaigns, aimed at unequivocally conveying the message of “No to Gender-Based Violence”. Furthermore, these initiatives aim to enlighten women about their rights in relation to policies and legislation. Given that numerous victims have been let down by the judicial system, resulting in underreporting of violence against perpetrators, our sisters are resolute in raising awareness on Gender-Based Violence, particularly during the global 16 days of activism against gender-based violence targeting women and children.
