The 2-day convergence of the Niger Delta Women's Day of Action for Environmental Justice 2024, with the theme: Extraction to Restoration: Ensuring Justice and Inclusion for Women in Energy Transition, held in Rivers State was organised to strengthen the advocacy around the demand for environmental justice and the need for women inclusion in decision making and governance at all strata of leadership in the Niger Delta region. Over 250 women from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo and Rivers States use the forum to engage in diverse conversation on new strategies to actualise the desired goal of women participation in the transition era. It was aimed at amplifying critical women voices against the pollution in the Niger Delta and the destruction of the ecosystem and a platform for women to continue to speak up demanding accountability from duty bearers to address the pollution pandemic in the Niger Delta, with the sole objective of reposition community women for effective interventions promoting ecosystem restoration and gender-just energy transition.
Conversely, the immediate and impending issues of constant exclusion undergone by women as a result of environmental challenges in the Niger Delta should be given priority attention and it has to be now. Owing to the fact that, these problems have lasted for decades unabated, and part of what this meeting will be projecting is to spotlight these issues and also hold government accountable, because they have the responsibility to address the issues. It is also a call for women inclusion at all levels of decision making and on issues that affect the environment and energy transition. Women’s participation in the leadership of the Host Community Development Trust and also lead advocacies that the oil be left in the ground. Women should be involved in the energy transition movement by building their capacities, so, as to be ready for the opportunity when it arises. Also, there should be thorough understanding of the Petroleum Industrial Act and how host community can utilise the provisions, and the role of the Nigeria Upstream Regulatory Commission NUPRC within the context of the Petroleum Industry Act PIA implementation.
The Niger Delta Women Day of Action convergence was attended by people from diverse background cutting across Community women, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Traditional Institution, Academia, interest groups, youth groups, as well as government at both national and sub-national level.
KEY OBSERVATIONS:
1.  Globally, 70% of people living in poverty are women, leaving them disproportionately dependent on natural resources affected by extraction and environmental degradation. In resource-rich communities, women bear the brunt of land displacement, reduced agricultural yields, and water contamination caused by extraction activities, leaving them with fewer livelihood options.
2.  Women for decades now have been through a lot of hardship linked to the high impact of environmental degradation in the Niger Delta region, projecting these issues at the front burner is necessary and timely, to inform the government about the plight of women and the need to address the pressing needs of community women in bid to strengthen resilience to a successful energy transition within their environment.
3.  Women were left out of the oil and gas business for decades and if conscious effort to involve women in the energy transition movement, to discontinue the violence perpetrated against women of the Niger Delta through extractive violence, exclusion violence and pollution violence, in the restoration of the ecosystem. Â
4.  The high level of poverty in the Niger Delta is linked to inequality which is a menace to achieving the sustainable development in all Niger Delta communities.
5.  Lack of environmental education for women in the rural area, as well as inadequate gender conscious effort to encourage consistent, steadfast and purposeful energy transition.
6.  Economic Inequality a major wealth gap that exacerbates climate inequality, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations which are mostly women.
7.  Provisions of the PIA does not consider gender and disability inclusion and therefore the PIA is not gender sensitive and for people living with disability.
KEY RESOLUTIONS FROM DIFFERENT PROCEEDINGSÂ -
1.  Justice requires that women are not only considered in energy policy design but actively involved in leadership roles, enabling equitable outcomes. Education and training programs should target women to build capacities for participating in green jobs.
2.  Investment in women-led energy initiatives has a multiplier effect on community well-being, fostering economic stability and social cohesion.
3.  Governments and private sectors must adopt gender-responsive budgeting and allocate resources to initiatives that empower women in the energy transition.
4.  To address gender equality governments, federal and subnational alike must remove any provisions restricting women’s equal participation, be ambitious about gender-transformative change, also, disaggregation, transparency and explicitly enable the participation of women and gender minorities through verifiable goals and processes.
5.  Promote women inclusion in all leadership level of the society, to ensure a fair representation of women to address issues of gender concerns as well as the leadership of the HCDT governance structure by incorporating gender responsive dynamics at all levels.
6.  Women should be self-reliant and resolute in the struggle for women inclusion in the oil and gas governance from the planning to execution that often exclude women in the economic participation.
7. Advocate for the reduction of emissions among the richest individuals, making polluters pay, and reimagining our economies. Governments must introduce wealth taxes, regulate corporations, and promote sustainable investments.
8.  Host communities should not undermine the 3% gross operational cost from settlors for communities’ development as provided in the PIA; rather they should embrace it and make deliberate effort to fully access the fund annually and utilize the fund strictly as specified in the PIA provisions while they continue to advocate and demand for amendments of the PIA.
9. Transparency, accountability and inclusive participation must be at the core of every strategy to ensure just and sustainable energy transition and mitigate the negative impacts on women.
Ensuring gender balance in energy governance and consulting women’s groups in local communities is key to creating inclusive energy policies. Women’s participation in the evolving renewable energy value chain is essential.
The women pledged willingness and commitment to keep the tempo of organizing against oppression of host Communities until success is achieved.
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This demand is endorsed by 250 community women and men representatives that participated in the Convergence in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on the 4th and 5th of December, 2024.
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