Voices from the North

Women with disabilities from pastoralist communities reflect on climate change and their role in changing the narrative

A screen grab from an animation made by Mariam

  

We visit Isiolo County in the backdrop of recent banditry attacks that have escalated insecurity in the   region. It has been recognized widely that banditry heavily impacts women in different ways. The   conversations that we hold with women with disabilities on this day, not only show how violence such as banditry impacts their lives, but importantly its relationship with climate change. 

The women with disabilities see interconnections between climate change and violence, because as they state, ‘with depleted grazing grounds and drying rivers, as a result of climate changes, communities are at war with each other.’  As such, in the broad context, the women with disabilities note that to address the ravages of climate change will in one way or another address escalating violence affecting their communities. 

The women with disabilities however note that they are hardly engaged in either of these conversations at policy or leadership levels. Those addressing community tensions and violence including banditry, nor those addressing climate change. “We need to be in these conversations,” they reckon. 

A participant makes a remark

“Coming from the farther rural areas within Isiolo County, as a blind woman, there is always that unending fear,” says Pamela. “The sense of impending danger and what to do in that event, is in itself scary.” One of what worries Pamela is if she or her family were to encounter a dangerous situation as a result of banditry attacks. “It would be difficult for me to quickly run or get into safety,” she reflects. Pamela hopes that there can be long-term solutions to the issues of violence such as banditry.   

Largely, Isiolo county experiences hot and dry climates for most months of the year, yet with climate change, the situation gets dire, with intensified weather extremes that see the region experiencing longer dry spells and erratic rain patterns. Our women participants are well aware that these changes in climate have disproportionate impacts on women with disabilities. Yet many are worried that they are hardly involved in policy discussions on climate change. In a room of 20 women with disabilities hardly two had engaged in any policy conversations on climate change; let alone being in ward committees related to the broad climate space.

As Fatma Mohammed, CEO NONDO noted, “there exist major challenges even in terms of how women with disabilities are meaningfully engaged in public participation, this also has to be addressed.”

Fatma makes remarks 

“Women are often forced to walk long distances to look for water,” say many participants, ‘yet for many of us, women with disabilities, this presents a serious problem.” Conversations also looked at the role of attitudes and stigma towards disability and how this also play a key role in how women innovatively engage with green economy livelihood options including urban farming and climate‑smart agriculture. 

“We know that when climate related policies do not recognize the disproportionate impact of climate change on women with disabilities,” says Mildred Omino who is leading the conversations today, “many interventions will definitely leave them out.”  For the women with disabilities present, the fact that a minimal number has engaged with county government processes in itself is alarming. 

 “We do not have a lot of awareness about climate justice and our role in it,” says a participant, requesting the need for continued investment in increasing their awareness on this topic to also support them to be active participants in climate justice conversations. 

Dialogues with women with disabilities led by Mildred 

Just like Mariam. 

Mariam

Mariam took part in a Film Fellowship by the Kenya Film Commission after which she made an animation urging communities to save earth.  Mariam says, “as a disabled artist, this is one way I want to use my talent to contribute to conversations on climate change. I hope that as young people we can get more spaces and opportunities to contribute positively if only to make life better for more people with disabilities in a world that is rapidly being devastated by climate related disasters.” 

A conversation at a time 

With such conversations, we are hopeful that the leadership of women with disabilities in all conversations related to climate change in Isiolo will be acknowledged and that more and more of them will be engaged in climate related policy change conversations. 

We thank our member NONDO (Northern Nomadic Disabled Organization) who is leading the project in Isiolo County on behalf of the Network.

Acknowledgement to the Meaningful Engagement - Transformative Action (META) project,  a joint initiative by FEMNET - African Women's Development and Communication Network, SDGs Kenya Forum, and WECF International with support from the Delegation of The European Union to Kenya.