International Day of girls and women in Science - Women in Climate science

I had intended for this to be a brief post; as its length progressed, however, it seemed fit as an article.

Today is International day of girls and women in science and this year, as we recognise the role of women and girls in science, not only as beneficiaries, but also as agents of change and I would like to celebrate all the amazing women in Science and recognise those that I have had the great pleasure to meet and continue to learn from in climate science. 

If there are any two key things I would say have been my biggest takeaways in the past year of working with National Adaptation Plan Global Network to elevate the voices of underrepresented women in climate change adaptation and planning is that;

1. It is very easy to stay wrapped in a bubble of privilege where climate change is not an adverse reality as it is for communities whose livelihoods depend on natural resources.
2. A sustainable tomorrow can only be attained when policy makers and communities bearing the real brunt of climate change and especially women, who feel the effects more significantly, speak in the same language. In the words of Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, Deputy Director, Climate Vulnerabilities & Adaptation, Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana on the importance of this program (referring to our collaboration with National Adaptation Plan): it allows governments and people in local communities to speak the same language about climate change and will be used to inform policies.

For a long time I struggled understanding the science of climate change. I desired deeply to contribute meaningfully to the subject, even in my role at Lensational and although my country, Kenya, is amongst those feeling the impacts of climate change quite adversely, without context to the process I didn't seem to quite fully grasp the magnitude and urgency of the matter. Hours spent in study and research proved almost futile, as my time and energy went into translating the meaning of these big words I was learning as opposed to simply getting it - again pointing to the importance of speaking in a shared language.

When we (Lensational) partnered with NAP Global Network to bring voices of Maasai women here in Kenya to policy level in the priorities of adaptation and planning using visual storytelling, I reached out to Patricia Nying’uro, a climate scientist and climate change science expert working with Kenya Meteorological Department (through a mention by our Chair, Faye Cuevas), to help us and our beneficiaries understand the science of climate change and how it translates to the patterns we are observing in our day-to-day lives.

"The importance of this program is that it allows governments and people in local communities to speak the same language about climate change and will be used to inform policies." ~ Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, Deputy Director, Climate Vulnerabilities & Adaptation, Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana

What has been interesting for us to note is that, although the photographers we work with are women whose lives are shaped quite tangibly and in every aspect on a day to day basis by the impacts of climate change, their language is not infused with rich climate vocabulary. When we meet they are not talking about carbon emissions or adaptation plans.  The way they speak about climate change is more on how it affects them but they are not aware of climate activism which is supposedly representing their struggles nor the fact that they could be part of it. They are just trying to deal with it at their own level.

"A woman draws water from a dug out hole in what was previously a river, Ilkujuka Loita Kenya. ©Lensational/ Immaculate Pisoi

What has been interesting for us to note is that, although the photographers we work with are women whose lives are shaped quite tangibly and in every aspect on a day to day basis by the impacts of climate change, their language is not infused with rich climate vocabulary. When we meet they are not talking about carbon emissions or adaptation plans...

Connecting with Patricia was fundamental and the beginning of an unending process to expand our horizons on climate change. From the causes of climate change to how a cloud forms, I asked everything! - seemingly needing more lessons than our beneficiaries. And with the simplicity of a child and the mastery of a pro, Patricia has been taking time to demystify and downscale the concept of climate change to us and our trainees, to enable us recognise local patterns of changing climate over recent years,  understand the importance of documenting climate change impacts at local level for national scale decision making and long term planning, building capacity on gender differentiated impacts, as well as how messaging on local impacts of climate change can be best amplified through imagery.

Patricia shares a light moment with Cindy Kone during a discussion on climate with Maasai women' groups in Loita Forest, Kenya 

After almost a year of documenting their realities and as we now prepare our photographers to have a dialogue with policy makers in the National Adaptation Plan process through their visual stories, their fluency in recognising and evidencing the diverse climatic patterns as they are experiencing is in a great way thanks to the the time and the knowledge Patricia has been providing to us and our photographers, allowing our trainees to speak in a similar language about climate change.

In the same breath Patricia also sits on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) where she negotiates on behalf of Kenya accurately representing our priorities for mitigation, adaptation and planning as a developing nation. Patricia's passion for the science of climate change and how to ensure appropriate response actions are put in place to safeguard lives, is seen through her participation as a founding member of ‘Climate Without Borders’ an international NGO that champions timely communication of the impacts of climate change.

As we continue to advocate for more representation of girls and women in decisions relating to climate, it gives me hope to be able to witness women like Patricia trailblazing as agents of change in science. And in the words of Professor Anjali Goswami, another thought leader in science that I have had the honor to share a panel with at Natural History Museum on Gender Equality in Planetary Emergency; We cannot merely hope for incremental change in women's participation but have to force this change through existing and parallel systems and by amplifying the voices of women leading the change so much so that they cannot be ignored.

Happy International day of girls and women in Science!

"We cannot merely hope for incremental change in women's participation but have to force this change through existing and parallel systems and by amplifying the voices of women leading the change so much so that they cannot be ignored." ~Professor Anjali Goswami