By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bolgatanga, June 19, GNA-The Ghana Federation of Forest and Farm Producers (GhaFFaP) has called for multi-stakeholders’ approach, as part of viable measures to address desertification and drought and mitigate climate change.
This was in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency by Ms Lydia Miyella, the Chairperson of the Women Champion Wing Lead of GhaFFaP on behalf of GhaFFaP Savanna Ecological Zone (Ghana) to mark this year’s ‘World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought’.
This year’s Desertification and Drought Day, marked on June 17, is putting the global spotlight on women’s land rights on the theme, “Her Land. Her Rights: Advancing Gender Equality and Land Restoration Goals”.
The statement appealed to all Forest & Farm Producer Organizations especially women dominated (FFPOs), Governments, Environmental Stakeholders, Academia, Research Institutions, Customary Landowners, Development Partners, Private Sector players, the Media and the public to prioritise the issues of Desertification and Drought.
“According to GhaFFaP, desertification and drought is a global environmental challenge that continues to pose a greater threat to the survival of many households especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)”, it stressed.
The statement observed that globally, rural women farmers faced significant barriers in securing land rights, limiting their ability to thrive and prosper, adding that when land becomes degraded and water becomes scarce for a long period of time, more women are often the worst affected in terms of agricultural productivity and livelihood options.
“Again, the Rural Women farmers, who constitute nearly half of the world’s agricultural labour force, hold a vital stake in the health and integrity of the land, yet they often don’t have control over it”, it emphasized.
It stressed that land continued to be the most critical economic and environmental resource for most rural women farmers, especially those who depended on subsistence agriculture for their daily livelihoods.
“GhaFFaP believes that investing in women’s equal access to land is a direct investment in securing their future livelihoods and the future of humanity. Since we all cannot fight the desertification and drought without the inclusion of women and youth”, the statement stressed.
It assured that GhaFFaP would continue to pursue gender-centred global land restoration and drought resilience initiatives by deliberately putting women and youth at the forefront and called on stakeholders to join the crusade in fighting desertification and draught.
It stated that GhaFFaP had in place many initiatives and strategies aimed at advancing the policies and legislation for women’s meaningful participation in decision-making processes related to land at grassroots, zonal and national levels, to transform land administration systems and access to justice, to make them gender responsive and also turn climate change challenges within the savanna ecological zone into integrated landscape production opportunities.
“GhaFFaP is fully committed to supporting Forest and Farm Producer Organizations (FFPOs) especially women dominated FFPOs in advancing women’s equal access to land and tenure security, with the strong partnerships across governments, farmer associations, other civil society Groups, academia, Research institutions and the private sectors”, it indicated.
GNA