Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Carvin Malone is calling for a celebration of local women and girls and supporting gender equality as part of International Women’s Day Celebrations.
This year, the day is being observed under the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” and it focuses on climate change, adaptation, mitigation and response to build a more sustainable future for all.
Honourable Malone in his International Women’s Day Message stated that both women and men working in the natural resource sectors at the administrative and community levels are likely to be affected by climate change. However, the impact of climate change on women is not the same.
Honourable Malone further stated that women are not only seen as victims of climate change but they can also be seen as effective change agents and promoters of adaptation and mitigation.
Minister Malone said, “For a long time, women in the British Virgin Islands have historically developed knowledge and skills related to water harvesting and storage, food preservation and rationing, and natural resources management. This was evident after the storms of 2017 when women farmers and fisher folks were able to bounce back, largely because of these skills they learned from their parents and some skills that were self-taught.”
Honourable Malone is encouraging the community to be inspired by the many women trailblazers who have made a difference in the lives of people in the diverse fields of farming and fishery.
“Homage is also given to disaster risk officers, disaster risk prevention and management specialist working to protect them against the impacts of climate change,” he said.
International Women’s Day is observed annually on March 8 and is a day to acknowledge and to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women and to bring attention to several issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.