Objectives:

1. Empower women in mitigating the effects of Climate Change;

2. Provide strategic solutions, such as projects and programs wherein women can be
directly involved;
3. Mainstreaming and streamlining of knowledge regarding Climate Change to be fully
understood by many.

Highlights:

The event aims to provide a deeper understanding of the effects of Climate Change in our
present situation. In providing significant understanding, the event empowers its women’s
participants by providing an in depth discussion regarding causes and effects of Climate
Change. In line with this the different speakers in the event highlighted the different situations
that they experience, the lessons they learn and can share and how they can help in
intensifying the participation of women in mitigating the effects of Climate Change.

Discussion by the speakers:

Indigenous People Sector:

IPs consist of big groups of people as well as a big group of Moro Women. They tend to live a
simple lives away from the city, with regard to this, they are recognized to contribute low in
Climate Change due to their low carbon lifestyle. However, they are still considered one of the
most vulnerable sectors of the effects of Climate Change, wherein they suffer land loss dues to
legal and illegal mining and deforestation; they are also affected by flash floods during
typhoons. In line with this, the IPs call that they should be supported in living their simple lives,
wherein they can care for the environment where they dwell. They would like their rights to
fully recognized, wherein they have the right to approve and disapprove the projects (ex.
Mining projects) that they deem to destructive to the environment. They also would like to
access the funds provided by the government such as the People Survival Funds, wherein it
could help them in cultivating their lands; however, they encounter problems in meeting the
requirements in doing so. In line with this, they would like the process to be streamlined,
wherein they can easily apply for such funds. Government funding together with our love for
our environment could go a long way in mitigating the effects of Climate Change.

Elderly Sector:

As Senior Citizen’s we believe that we have lived a long and fulfilling life. They are lucky enough
to see the transition the weather before up until the present. In line with this, they wish to
share the knowledge that they harnessed through the years, through engaging young
individuals in talks. They wish to take part in promoting water sufficiency through water
conserving strategies; food security, through the sharing food conserving and making
strategies; and to share their wisdom through forums, and capacity building workshop.
Urban Poor Sector:

It is evident that the Urban Sector, being the most marginalized sector is very vulnerable to the
issues of food security, human security and lack of sufficient knowledge and capacity building
engagements. Urban poor communities suffer from malnutrition, having little to no food at all
in a day to day basis; also, they suffer from the unhealthy risks that they face in the
communities where they live in; knowledge and capacity building poses to be the least
insignificant to the urban poor communities for they tend to secure their food and living
environment first above all else. Upon realizing such needs, urban poor communities suffer the
most from the effects of Climate for they are the once that can be easily displaced by the
extreme weather conditions we have today. These challenges are just a few of what they
readily experience, that is why the Urban Poor sectors, aims to encapsulate, to provide a
concrete solution through participatory approach of governance. Participatory bottom-up
governance will help the members of the communities to be involved and empowered in
providing solutions to their problems.

Agriculture Sector:

The Agriculture Sector is mainly concerned with Food Security, Water Sufficiency and
Knowledge and Capacity Building. Climate Change deliberately affects food security, because
extreme weather conditions affects planting and harvesting of crops, that also affects the profit
of the whole industry, farmer, as well as the consumers. Water sufficiency is affected through
the increase of temperature, wherein it contributes to the depletion of marine life resources,
this affects our fisher folks; without water sufficiency mangroves, marine life and farm irrigation
system can be deliberately disturbed. When the agricultural sector is disturbed, it can distress
the chain of supply and demand. In line with this, the agricultural sector aims to provide a
solution to a structural problem of agricultural policies, promote organic farming, ridge to reef
projects, community seed banking and to promote planting of household plants wherein
household plants can help in curing simple airborne diseases.

Business Sector:

Women in poor communities are involved in livelihood, wherein they aim to increase
household income for for food security purposes. Women are highly vulnerable because being
household mothers they are concerned of the welfare of their whole household. The effects of
Climate Change highly affect them when extreme weather conditions hit their community, they
find it hard to be back in their business track. Household women become constrained whenever
environmental stressors arise. In line with this, the government must invest in women’s
livelihood sector to help them prepare whenever there are disasters and provide business
alternatives for sustainable development.