Uganda is on the frontline of climate change, and women are particularly hard-hit. Film-maker Carol Salter documented their plight in 2008. She’s been back to see if anything’s changed.
This time last year I went to the Kotido region of northern Uganda with Oxfam to make a film about climate change and the impact it’s having on local women. The women here are remarkably in tune with their environment, and have an exceptional ability to read nature’s signs and know when’s best to plant, and when to harvest.
The problem is that this has all been thrown up in the air by climate change. They are experiencing severe drought followed by flooding. Conditions are already becoming more severe and increasingly unpredictable.
Last month, I was back in Kotido, and I was keen to see how the women I’d met were getting on. First and foremost, I wanted to catch up with Martina, the focus of my film. The first time I met her, I immediately warmed to her cheeky sense of humour - her infectious giggling; the way she made fun of me running behind her with the camera, struggling to keep up on her regular five-hour walks in search of water and firewood.
Since we last met, Martina’s joined her local community’s women’s group (which Oxfam supports), and seems to have gained confidence, which is great to see. She’s obviously very proud to be playing an active role in her community. The women meet every Saturday morning under the shade of a large tree. Here is a short video in which Martina talks about how the climate is affecting her community now and the tree-planting project she’s got involved in through the women’s group (more on this below):
The women’s group meetings are both a place to share worries and concerns and a forum for actively exploring real long-term solutions. The tree-planting project is a prime example of this. About eight years ago, the women came to the conclusion that cutting down trees for firewood was not helping their local environment.
They took the initiative to use the replanting to bring extra benefits to the community. They’ve planted a variety of trees, some will provide fodder for their goats, some will produce flowers that attract bees and help them with their beekeeping. Other trees are for fruits and medicines. Oxfam provided tree seedlings and tools. In the last two years they have planted 1,500 trees. They have ambitious plans to extend their forest in the river valley below the village. Since my last visit they have also built a grain store and a water pond for the trees.
It’s a shame women like Martina who have so much potential, are having to struggle so hard as a result of climate change. But for me what was inspiring was to see the determination and strength of these women. As Martina tells us: “We come together and encourage one another, we feel united and stronger when we meet, working together for our survival.”
Sisters on the Planet: women and climate change [Free DVD]
Issues we work on: gender equality
Tags: climatechange, gender, livelihoods, uganda, women
