Invited speaker
Ms. Akiko takai
Q&A
JEMUN SESSION 3
Q&A SESSION WITH INVITED SPEAKERS
By Selina Choi
After Ms. Akiko Takai delievered her presentation about Save the Children Japan, JEMUN journalists conducted a follow-up interview. The journalists attempted to gain insights into the hidden linkages between gender inequality and climate change.
Ms. Takai noted that climate change itself has endangered the future of vulnerable children.
Unfortunately, gender inequality worsens the situation. For example, according to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, a report published by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization in 2018, the body growth rate of Rwandan girls born during crop failures caused by extreme weather was significantly lower than that of boys. The reason behind this phenomenon is that girls are often unequally treated by people in impoverished areas, which tend to hold conservative views on issues of gender. Since girls are considered less important than boys in patriarchal societies, their well-being is more easily sacrificed when disasters strike.
“Yes, we definitely observed that,” Ms. Takai readily replied. She immediately gave examples that demonstrated gender inequality in climate-related disasters. In one instance she noted, girls are more likely to be stopped by their parents from going to school and the importance of female education is often overlooked in more traditional cultures. While some families do understand how important education is, they still prefer to allow sons to enjoy the benefits of limited resources at the expense of girls. At worst, daughters are forced to work in extremely poor environments to earn a living for their families.
24
Wanting to conduct an in-depth inspection of the issue, the journalists asked whether Ms. Takai diagnosed any traits of gender inequality during her time as a member of a humanitarian aid organization that launches frontline volunteer projects in areas vulnerable to climate change related disasters.
TPhoto by Hiroto Serita
Photo by Hiroto Serita