'Women vital in dealing with environmental issues'

Deputy President William Ruto's wife Rachael has called for increased involvement of women in sustainable environmental management in the fight against poverty.

Speaking yesterday during the High Level Gender and Environment Forum at the ongoing UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Rachael said women have significant contributions to make in managing the environment to boost economic activities.

Her statements were mainly based on her activities as the Head of Joyful Women Organistion, a Kenyan non-governmental organisation (NGO) formed to empower Kenyan women economically and enhance house-hold food security among them through supporting their involvement in livelihood projects.

"Without putting women at the centre of environment management, very little gains may be achieved because women are involved in all sectors of the environment," she said. Racheal said her organisation is giving out environmentally-friendly cooking stoves as part of the strategy to cut environmental pollution.

UN Women Deputy Executive Director Lakshmi Puri said Uthe organisation is up scaling activities to boost women's resilience against environmental destruction including their capacity to resist activities that are a threat to environmental sustainability such as mining and logging.

She said gender agenda should to be at the centre of resolutions that will come out of the UN Environmental Assembly because gender has a direct link to environment issues.

"Women are key players in sustainable development that includes protecting the environment. Involving them more in the policy and practice issues is critical if this environmental and sustainable development agenda succeeds," she said.