Call for global action plan to help women advance top environmental positions

KUALA LUMPUR: As women are playing important role in fighting climate change, a global action plan has to be formulated to help them advance to the highest level of leadership relating to environmental protection and climate action.

Priyaa Simmi, who actively advocates for various social and environmental issues says though women are found leading frontline climate action and activism at national and international levels, they still continue to face glass ceilings that prevent them from reaching environmental leadership positions.

"It is an undebatable fact that women are effective and powerful leaders and change makers for climate adaptation and mitigation.

"However, there should be an effective global action plan that gives more power to women, allows them to take charge and recognises the efforts of women in power who are already making difference in tackling climate change," said Priyaa who is also the reigning Mrs Malaysia World 2019-2021 to Bernama.

Citing a study by UNDP and the University of Pittsburgh's Global Report on Gender Equality in Public Administration, Priyaa concurs that women are still being held back from advancing to the highest levels of leadership in environmental protection and climate action, though they are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

On whether more women should get involved in digital solutions in tackling climate change globally, Priyaa who initiated the EcoQueen online marketplace said 'digital solutions are the future and we cannot be left behind'.

"A good testament to this is the fact that even on our platform, EcoQueen, 12 out of 15 of our vendors are women-led brands," she added.

EcoQueen, a one-stop online marketplace featuring local eco-conscious products and social enterprises, is targeting to host at least 50 brands of personal care, beauty and lifestyle products on its platform by year-end. Asked whether Malaysia is doing enough to fight climate change, Priyaa said Malaysia has implemented certain measures but unfortunately it is not as efficient, while stressing that 'we can do better'.

She says more education into the matter is needed at all levels, while stressing that people need to be more responsible for their actions, while there needs to be more ownership from all parties.

"We believe the road is a long one. Hopefully the climate 'issues' we are facing now is a good eye opener for us to realise that we need to care more about how we live, the destruction we are making in the name of development.

"And certainly we need to learn to draw the line and understand that overdevelopment without proper planning is just an easy road to destruction," she added.

-- BERNAMA