Women and the Environment in Developing Countries. Briefing Paper.

In much of the nonindustrialized world, women are the main providers of water, fuel, food, and other basic necessities, and thus often play the part of environmental managers. Because they are more directly connected to the environment, women are the most directly affected by environmental degradation, yet rarely have women been heard in discussions about global environmental problems. Economic development projects generally ignore women's needs and knowledge; most are oriented toward the expansion of cash economies and income generation, which often undermines stable subsistence economies, and displaces poor rural people who are then forced to destroy their own environment to survive. The solution to rapid population growth, also a factor in environmental degradation, centers on the need to improve levels of education and economic and social opportunities for women and girls. The importance of women in development and environmental management is being increasingly recognized by governments, lending institutions, and international development agencies, such as the World Bank, which has announced the education of girls as a top priority in its lending programs. Few tasks offer the potential for such sweeping improvements in both environmental protection and the quality of life around the world as does ensuring the equality of women. (TD)