Women are 14 times more likely to lose their lives in natural catastrophes than men, Aubrey Paris, policy advisor at the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues in the US Department of State, told Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA) journalist Sophia Papadopoulou.
The US official was interviewed while in the city to attend the Thessaloniki International Fair where she also took part, among other events, in the 4th Inclusivity Lounge organized by Women On Top.
In her interview to ANA-MPA, Paris said that women and girls are disproportionately affected by climate change, on a global scale. They are more likely to have problems accessing food, be subjected to gender-based violence, and lose natural resources and means of living, opportunities to be educated, and access to healthcare, besides facing the need to migrate due to natural catastrophes. The turn to more sustainable models of living requires that women and girls are assisted with training, funding, and education, she noted, particularly as women are the first to notice changes in the environment and climate, as they maintain close ties with their familys, communities, and environment.
The Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues focuses on identifying women and girls who are effective and to provide support in facing the challenges, Paris said. As good practices need to be further disseminated in the world, the Innovation Station initiative provides a platform for women identified based on their practices. Through virtual events, podcasts, and a newsletter, women who are leading in local communities are encouraged to explain what it is they do and why it is effective, thus providing models of application for local communities, the policy advisor noted.
The platform connects women to over 250 communities globally where they can share their best practices. The audience of these initiatives includes a network of 100 countries and over 40 American states, Aubrey paris said, while she also noted the opportunity for leaders of Thessaloniki organizations to join and extend the program here in Greece.
SOURCE; ANA-MPA
