Azeb Girmai, a doctoral candidate in African Studies and a member of the Ethiopian developmental organization Environmental Development Action (ENDA), is a developmental expert and environmental campaign leader. Girmai insists that despite a lengthy history of UN conventions, programs and policies set to address women’s rights and climate change, the lives of local women have not improved. Solutions and discussions tend to remain at the federal level while local communities remain unaware of the discussion and unheard. Thus, Grimai urges international organizations to include local women in their decision-making processes. Furthermore, she cautions against equating women’s empowerment initiatives with significant structural change. The latter cannot be neglected because there are strides being made in the former. Photo credit: no photo.
