Rural women celebrate World Environment Day
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Small steps can make a big impact - this is the slogan that deeply inspired the rural women involved in social mobilization work to launch volunteer initiatives in three regions of Georgia in connection with World Environment Day on 5 June.
Women participating in the social mobilization initiative are tirelessly striving to solve problems in their communities, to implement useful projects and, in general, to promote active citizenship. This time, however, they opted for landscaping, litter picking and awareness-raising activities. The initiatives were organized by the TASO Foundation and the Kakheti Regional Development Foundation in Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti. It is noteworthy that female members of self-help groups also involved the youth, other community members and local governments in the initiatives to mark World Environment Day.
“People need to feel responsible for nature. After all, our health depends on it, so each of us should be committed to environmental protection. At the same time, we should set an example with such initiatives for our future generations,” said Izolda Ansiani, a resident of the village of Tandzia in Bolnisi Municipality who took an active part in the activities during the week.
As part of the week dedicated to World Environment Day, about 130 trees were planted, brochures were distributed, and awareness-raising meetings were held to acknowledge the shared responsibilities, to use natural resources in the right way and to promote the preservation of a clean environment. It is noteworthy that future activities were planned as well.
Maia Grdzelishvili, project manager at the TASO Foundation, observed: “Social mobilization and women’s empowerment can deliver on the main results when the community gets united around common interests and contributes to achieving the global welfare. This is the case here: already empowered women, who have clear goals and values, have gathered the rest of the population around them. The role of the youth is especially important - [those] who have united for environmental protection, climate change adaptation and ecosystem restoration.”
World Environment Day was celebrated within the framework of the UN Women regional project “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus”. The project is implemented with financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and the Government of Slovakia.