From where I stand: “Women feel the consequences of climate change most clearly and severely”
A 41-year-old forester and Deputy Head of the National Forestry Agency, Natia Iordanishvili is the first woman to hold a decision-making position in the history of Georgia’s forestry sector. Natia is one of the women who took part in the project “17 Faces of Action” from Georgia.
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“My parents are geologists. I spent my whole childhood in expeditions, and I knew for sure that I would never be able to work only in an office. When I entered the Faculty of Forestry, I found out that I was the only girl in the group. Today, the number of women in this field has relatively increased, although it is still insufficient. I am happy if my career, spanning more than 20 years, has become a source of motivation for other girls to be interested in the forest. I have always tried to show that we women can also do this work and that we are not at all inferior to our male colleagues.
There are few natural resources that are as closely linked to climate change as forests, so for me, as a forester, one of the most important areas of activity is mitigating the damage of climate change—for example, by maintaining and improving the quantitative and qualitative indicators of forests and by managing threats, including fires, pests and diseases. I am glad that I took part in the development of the country’s climate action plan, in which ideas related to forests are also reflected.
I think that climate change is still being treated less responsibly in the world. However, solving problems starts with recognition. We must recognize climate change and its impact on our daily life, as well as its quality in terms of ecology, the economy and our health.
Women feel the consequences of climate change most clearly and severely. Moreover, they can perceive this damage very well, especially rural residents who, for example, have to go much further to collect water due to the loss of local water sources. Therefore, women can very clearly, based on practice, convey these results, disseminate information, actively contribute to raising awareness and have a positive impact.”
The initiative “17 Faces of Action” serves to promote the contribution of women in the process of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is a project of the United Nations Office at Geneva and its representative, Director-General Tatiana Valovaya, as well as the Association of Swiss Women and Empowerment. In Georgia, the project was implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Country Team and with the technical support of UN Women. Natia Iordanishvili’s work makes a significant contribution to the achievement of SDG 13, which involves overcoming the consequences of climate change.