BHUBANESWAR: At least 20,000 women and girls from urban and rural areas of Odisha will be trained by Humara Bachpan Trust (HBT) to be eco change-makers who will lead the fight against challenges of climate change through solutions using a 3R concept - reduce, reuse and recycle - to protect environment in the daily lives.
The city-based HBT on Saturday launched the programme 'Empowering Women and Girls as Eco Change Makers' which was unveiled by Director Environment-cum-Special Secretary, to Forest and Environment Department Susanta Nanda.
Nanda cited three well known examples of women’s contribution towards protecting the environment. "Chipko Andolan in 1973, a non-violent social and ecological movement by rural villagers, particularly women; Green Belt movement founded by Wangari Maathai in 1977 to plant trees across Kenya and environmental activist Vandana Shiva are examples that show women have majorly contributed towards protecting the environment," he said.
As part of the programme, the eco change makers will adopt and demonstrate different climate change mitigation measures and apply the concept of 3R to protect environment in daily lives as well as make efforts to shift towards sustainable energy. The initiative will not only benefit the environment but also empower women to improve the quality of life of their families and communities through climate change solutions.
"The initiative aims to bring women and girls to the forefront of climate activism by empowering and giving them responsibility to ensure a greater and lasting impact. The programme has been implemented in urban and rural communities of Khurda, Puri and Sundargarh districts and will reach out to 20,000 women and adolescent girls in two years," said HBT founder chairperson Dharitri Patnaik.
HBT, she said, has been advocating for clean and green environment and taken up the initiative as the licensee of Gap Inc's globally acclaimed and certified 'Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement' programme.
General Manager of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited Diptirani Sahoo appreciated the HBT for the initiative. HBT's adolescent leaders from Gandamunda Tarini community set the context of the initiative through skit. HBT executive director Arpita Pattnaik and trustee Dipanjali Swain were present.