Workshop on Rural Women and Environment Rationale: However, with the hegemony of a globalised world, with its aggressive ideology of an economic fundamentalist approach to a market led, profit oriented, masculine ethos of corporate backed modes of production, in which exploitation and rapid destruction of natural resources occurs. Justifying this as ‘development’, ‘modernisation’, and ‘progress’ it is forced upon our peoples, with the obvious conflicts that ensues between women in traditional communities and this exploitative economic system. This then forms the base around which the workshop will be structured. Objectives: Expected outputs:
Summary of the discussion at the workshop: Around 20-25 participants from Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Bangladesh shared their experiences of the negative impact of “development projects” pursued by the government and TNCs on environment in each country and local areas. Participants also shared that the aspect of human rights violations in such environmental issues has not been recognized and addressed. The workshop was facilitated by Khushi Kabir from Nijera Kori, Bangladesh, also a member of WEN TF - APWLD. India: 70 % of Indian population lives in rural area. The rich natural resources in rural area have been exploited by TNCs and Indian government. Extraction of gas and oil has been affecting the rural communities in close proximity to the extraction sites. Research on mining exposed the negative impact of the extraction on women’s health. Land grabbing by TNCs has led to child labor, forced displacement, loss of jobs and livelihood and sexual harassment of women working in the mines. The irresponsible acts of TNCs and Indian government on pesticide use and disposal are rampant. The development projects are also destroying traditional knowledge and skills, which results in loss of jobs and migration of people from rural communities. A stone crushing company replaced traditional way of stone crushing, and as a result, people working in stone crushing in the community lost their jobs and had to move to other places to search for alternative livelihood. Indonesia is rich with natural resources. There are oil, gas, ore, cement, gold, silver, stone etc. The rich natural resources have been exploited by TNCs and Indonesian government. Research on mining type C in Lolioge sub district Middle Sulawesi Indonesia exposed the negative impact on women. Women’s livelihoods in the mining area were planting vegetable and fruit and crushing stones. The stone companies have been grabbing communal and individual land. As a result, people especially women lost their jobs and had to search for alternative livelihood. In 2007, the Investment Law was enacted, which welcomes foreign investors with tax incentives, visa arrangements and land leasehold maximum for 95 years. Thailand: Industrialisation projects enforced by the government have been deteriorating the environmental condition and eroding the self-sufficient economy in the community. An example is the shrimp culture industry run by TNCs, which is adversely affecting coastal environment and the local livelihood. The government turns around and blames indigenous peoples for their cutting trees as a cause of environmental degradation and has prevented them from accessing to their land. Women leaders are taking an active role in protesting environmental issues. Malaysia: The heavy use of pesticides in plantations is damaging the health of agricultural workers, the majority of whom are women migrant workers. Plantations mostly misuse and dispose chemicals irresponsibly and do not provide their workers with protection from those harmful chemicals. Above all, plantations for biofuel such as palm oil are casing huge negative impact on people and natural environment. Forests and wetlands are being replaced by those plantations which require a lot of water and pesticides, causing contamination of drinking water, ecosystem deterioration and displacement of the communities. The policy to regulate the operation of those plantations does not address the negative impact on people. Indigenous peoples in the affected areas are not yet organised well to protest. Bangladesh shares almost all issues other participants raised: Indigenous people in Bangladesh are being blamed for deforestation instead of companies and TNCs which should be accountable for it. Moreover, agribusiness including agrichemical industry intervening in the local agriculture and economic system led deepening indebtedness among farmers. Rural women are more vulnerable in this aggressive corporate-led globalisation adding on the traditional culture oppressive to women in unequal power relations. Cambodia: The government has got more loans since Cambodia entered into the WTO in 2004. Policy on water, forestry and development are designed to protect the profit of corporations rather than people in Cambodia. Petroleum mining companies from Australia and the US have been operating in rural area. People particularly living in rural area have been experiencing tremendous changes in their lives and livelihood, some of whom have been displaced by the corporate projects such as mining and construction of dams. Women are more vulnerable losing their livelihood in the community and migrating to cities and other countries seeking for job opportunities which are very limited for them. To obtain accurate data by conducting researches is essential to raise awareness among civil society, organise women and demand government accountability. Sharing those experiences, participants came up with the following strategies and recommendations:
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