Rural Women in a Changing Climate Tricia Hazeleger Manager, Rural Women’s Network.

Rural Women in a Changing Climate

Tricia HazelegerManager, Rural Women’s Network

Rural Women Drought & Climate Change

Community Support Fund 2007 – 2009

• Department of Planning and community Development: Community Development Group/Rural Women’s Network

• Barwon South West, Hume, Gippsland, Grampians, Loddon Mallee (5 part-time staff)

• 5 Regional Rural Women’s Reference Groups • Rural Women Drought and Climate Change - local women

working together and exploring partnerships that improve their family situation and community’s wellbeing

• Workshops, bus tours, consultations, information, networking …

March & April 2009

To strengthen women’s leadership and participation in responding to drought and climate change

26 Regional Gatherings 730 rural women Statewide Forum 130 rural women and 70 statewide stakeholders

Regional Gatherings

Statewide Forum

Three of the things we learned

1. There is a valid role for government in supporting rural women’s leadership in addressing climate change

2. Women face specific challenges in a rural context

3. Rural women’s leadership in addressing climate change is taking many forms that can be built on and extended

1. Role of government

EQUITY

Climate change magnifies existing inequalities especially and gender inequality (UNDP 2005)

The Victorian Government’s commitments to addressing climate change, ensuring regional sustainability and equal representation for women

Example: A Climate of Opportunity (2008), Provincial Victoria, and Victorian Women’s Policy Framework.

1. Role of government

Vibrant Democracy

Rural Women in a Changing Climate events align with the

Government’s A Fairer Victoria framework

“Need stronger engagement with groups of disadvantaged women, as well as indigenous women, and young women - expertise, knowledge.”

(Participant Feedback: Statewide Forum)

ONGOING CHALLENGE- diversity & disadvantage -

What women said:

“.. need to invite people who might not necessarily think to attend” (Newstead)

“.. farmers views are different to those in town and those on blocks out of town” (Maryborough)

“Need more young people at the table” (Tangambalanga)

“More culturally diverse and indigenous women need to be included along with bridging to city women” (Statewide Forum)

2. Rural & gendered context

RURAL

Climate change compounds current rural challenges

+ drought, ageing population, global competition in agricultural industries, increased extreme events (fires, floods), isolation, health

[A Climate of Opportunity, 2008:19]

GENDER

women over represented in vulnerable groups – sole parents, carers

women under represented in decision making

benefit of women’s multi- faceted influence across households, communities, & organisations

[Alston, Just Policy, 2007 No 46]

2. Rural and gendered context

What women said about IMPACTS of CCWater: scarcity and uncertainty, domestic and stock, businesses

and communities built around primary industries, gardens, loss of

rivers and bio-diversity

Increased extreme events: safety, rapid changes, cost

of changes (e.g. Building), reliance on volunteers

Sustainable rural & regional communities: young people staying/returning, green industries/jobs

Family relationships: coping with extreme events, long

term drought, off farm jobs, caring for young and old

ONGOING CHALLENGE- complexity & sustainable rural communities -

Women emphasised the importance of ‘village approach’ to creating localised, self sufficient and supportive environments including ‘Nanna Technology’, ‘Transport Portals’, community/school gardens, solar bulk buys, food cooperatives, farmers markets,

UCLA (2000) research: women have a ‘tend and befriend’ response to stress -creating or maintaining social networks to reduce risk

3. Leadership in all its forms

Regional Gatherings

Local/regional access

Local impacts & issues

Small group participation

Expressions of Interest to attend statewide forum

Financial support to participate statewide

Are you interested in participating in the Statewide Forum?

We are looking for 25 women from each rural region to participate in the Statewide

Forum.

We are keen to encourage all women to consider participating, especially if you

are interested in contributing to constructive and strategic ‘round table’ discussions in small groups and ‘break

out’ sessions.

3. Leadership in all its forms 100% of participants of the Rural Women Drought & Climate change

initiative described their involvement as positive

“learn from and be empowered by other women” Realise our potential to connect and our …

Power to ‘make a difference’

Reference Groups + Circles of influence

PosterPoster

3. Leadership in all its forms

Kitchen Table Conversation(Statewide Forum Casestudy: Beechworth Sustainability Group)

•Opportunity to discuss impact of climate change•Help people to plan for the impacts•Can be used at field days, across neighbourhoods etc•Basis for behaviour change

3. Leadership in all its forms

Linking regional, statewide & international women Regional Gatherings delivered rural women’s perspective on climate change impacts Information was provided to ‘state, national and international expert’ panel members, requesting that they directly link their presentations to specific regional issues and ideas

3. Leadership in all its forms

Statewide Forum Statewide stakeholders

Minister for Women’s Affairs, rural female MPs, government departments, CWA, Australian Women in Agriculture

Deliberative engagement2 rural women Hume + 2 rural women Grampians + 2 statewide stakeholders4 young rural women + 2 rural women from same region + Australian Youth Climate Change Coalition

ONGOING CHALLENGE- participation and/or influence -

“Women at the local level have started to influence local processes”

(Evaluation Feedback – 86%)

However - some participants commented on the difference between women’s participation and women’s participation in decision-making

“ .. more time and focus needed on achieving influence at state level …

only at just starting to gain momentum”.

Rural Women Leading ChangeNext Steps

• Rural Women Leading Change – 2009/11• Back to women: ‘ideas to action’ (e.g. already

happening – car pool) • Keep spreading rural women’s ideas: POSTERS,

IAP2 Conference, website, GLASS• Whole-of-government meetings: taking rural

women’s ideas to add to govt programs e.g. Outcomes Summary as Green Paper submission

• Ministerial action: regional casestudy visits, meetings with Minister for Agriculture

Further Information:

• Outcomes Summary• Statewide Forum Casestudies & Presentations• Regional Gatherings Summaries• Women’s Action Commitments – POSTERS

Website: www.ruralwomen.vic.gov.au

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 03 9208 3650

Thank You