Yaaku-Samburu activist Naini Meriwas addressed the final day of the IPACC conference on Climate Change in Marrakech.

Meriwas emphasised that indigenous women are at the front line of the impact of climate change in Africa, and yet have thus far been highly marginalised from policy making, consultations, and preparations for adaptation and mitigation.

Meriwas described the situation of indigenous peoples in the dry forests of Kenya and the arid northern pastoralist lands. As weather patterns become more extreme and temperatures climb, indigenous communities are hammered by new diseases, food insecurity, loss of biodiversity and essential natural resources, migration of men to the cities, and vulnerable children.

Indigenous peoples in Kenya have been greatly frustrated by high levels of corruption and the destruction of water sheds and forests by poor governance. to this day, forest based hunter-gatherer peoples are not recognised in the national census or governance. This includes the Yaaku of the Mukogodo, the Ogiek of the Mau Forest, the Sengwer of the Cheranganyi, the Chepkitale of the the Mt Elgon region, as well as the Aweer-Dahalo, northern Waata, southern Waata and Elmolo peoples.

IPACC delegates recognised that indigenous women need to be supported to be more directly involved in climate change negotiations. A starting point is that as land dries out, as livestock perish, and as people accelarate forest invasions, there will be more conflict, violence and human rights violations. Some of these human rights violation may happen inside families living under desperate conditions. Delegates agreed that the indigenous movement must emphasise the dignity of indigenous women and children, and promote dialogue in families and communities about reducing levels of conflict and harm in the communities.

=Khomani San activist Annetta Bok reported that her community struggled with domestic violence, alcohol abuse, rape and rising HIV levels. In traditional culture San women were highly valued, now they are the bottom rung of society, highly vulnerable to abuse by men and neighbouring communities.

Bororo activist Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim spoke about indigenous herding women who carry the weight of feeding the family, managing livestock, and dealing with uncertainty. Women are the main vehicles of reproduction of culture and knowledge, and yet during climate stress and crisis they sometimes become the objects of anger, frustration and violence by menfolk.

Ibrahim pointed out to the Moroccan hosts that they were the only delegation that was only made up of men. She reminded her Moroccan brothers that we are all responsible for equity and human rights. Algerian activist Kamira Nait-Sid supported this input. Algerian indigenous peoples are under constant human rights and environmental pressures, it is important for men and women to be in solidarity for their advocacy to be successful.

Mary Simat and Naini Meriwas emphasised that culture is a rich resource for indigenous peoples, but violence against women is not acceptable. Maasai, Samburu and other men need to be challenged about their behaviour to women.

Simat reported that the issue of climate change and gender issues need to be raised at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). She follows the CSW process at the UN, but there are very few women involve, almost no funding for indigenous women, and climate change has not been mentioned on the agenda over the past two years.

Tuareg activist Mohamed Ewangaye of Niger stated that indigenous culture rests on a peaceful balance between men and women. All indigenous men are responsible and dependent on their mothers, wives and daughters to sustain the family and their culture.

Delegates agreed that indigenous peoples need to consider the impact of climate change on women, promote dialogue in indigenous communities, and priorities training for indigenous women to be involved in policy processes as the UN and at national levels.

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