Women meet in Johanneburg to Plan action on Energy, Water and Climate Change

Lorrraine Kakaza / Mpumalanga/ 12 July 2016

We are meeting at the Gender links cottage at Johannesburg.We  are having a national planning meeting. This meeting involves women from different parts of South Africa including  Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Limpompo, Vaal ,Durban and KwaZulu Natal. The name of the campaign is Women Building Power for Energy, Water and Climate Change .The main focus is to create a sustainable development plan to improve living conditions for all people. Women have to spend most of their time collecting wood, coal, cow dung. In doing this they experience a lot of hardship and at times  risk are exposed to rape. Their well being is threatened. As women and young girls they have no choice. In our meeting the women talked about the worries  around the cost of living is increasing but wages and salaries remaining low. They are asked the question, what is stopping women from using renewable resources. Women are not  not employed and there is a lack of knowledge.