African Women Left Out of Climate Change Fight, Says USAID
Samantha Power (Photo by Sergio Flores/Getty Images)
The fight against climate change is a global issue that affects everyone, but not everyone is equally involved in the fight. According to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), women in northern Kenya are not involved in the fight against climate change due to the traditionally patriarchal society they live in. To address this issue, the Biden administration plans to spend $1.5 million in taxpayer funds to empower female climate change activists in the region.
Empowering Women to Adapt to Climate Change
The funding opportunity unveiled by USAID aims to “empower women to adapt to climate change in northern Kenya.” The agency believes that women are an integral part of the solution to the climate crisis, as they are typically responsible for securing the energy and water needs of their households, managing livestock or poultry, and cooking in the family kitchens. However, women in patriarchal communities often have fewer rights and economic opportunities, which hinders their ability to participate in decision-making and steer the African nation’s fight against climate change.
The program will help farmers and other vulnerable groups better prepare for climate impacts in a region hit hard by climate change. The agency is putting big money behind this program to “empower women, improve their participation in decision making, and enhance adaptive capabilities to climate change.”
Criticism and Response
The Biden administration’s focus on climate change has prompted criticism from congressional Republicans, who argue that the spending is a waste of taxpayer funds. However, USAID’s northern Kenya grant shows the agency has no plans to slow its spending on foreign climate activism.
USAID’s climate-focused work in Kenya reflects the Biden administration’s government-wide mandate to fight climate change. Federal agencies that seemingly have nothing to do with climate change have responded by releasing “Climate Action Plans.” USAID is not the only Biden administration agency working to spur climate activism abroad. Biden’s State Department earlier this month announced a $50,000 effort to create a “climate action podcast” in India.
USAID’s focus on climate change has come under former Obama administration official Samantha Power, whom Biden tapped to lead the agency in January 2021. Power has used her USAID climate work to travel the world and has declared that “climate change is sexist.” However, her climate emphasis has in some cases seemed to keep her from discussing more pressing humanitarian issues.
Conclusion
The fight against climate change requires the participation of everyone, regardless of gender or socioeconomic status. USAID’s program to empower female climate change activists in northern Kenya is a step in the right direction. By empowering women and improving their participation in decision-making, the agency hopes to enhance adaptive capabilities to climate change and build a more equitable world with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.
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