i Conserve Nigeria: The Tears of Women

Women are powerful agents who contribute tremendously to the environment, agriculture and conserving our natural resources. Though all these efforts by women are not recognized by the society and that is what I see that propels the topic THE TEARS OF WOMEN.

Women who play an essential role in managing our natural resources including soil, water, forests and as well have contemporary knowledge of the natural world around them make sure that everything is utilized and see to the reason

in conserving them.

Women give greater priority to protection of natural resources and improving the capacity of nature. They maintain farming products and caring for nature and environment's future.

The role of women cannot be undermined as women fetch fuelwood from the forest and they either sell or make use of it as an energy source. Women also collect some plants from the forest such as Alstonia which are used for medicinal purposes and the likes.

In a field work to some selected villages in Okitipupa local government area of Ondo state, I discovered that women whose major occupation is farming are alarming at the rate at which they have less income resulting from deforestation which has led them not to be able to provide the basic amenities of their wards nor to talk of giving them education.

The issue of women and environment has caused a lot of threats on women such that food and daily income is not certain. That’s so pathetic! 

The depletion of forest and forest products has caused those engaged in selling of these products to have loss in market value of their products which is not supposed to be.

An increasing number of women are taking over and expanding their involvement in agricultural tasks but this has not changed the fact that “men generally own the land while women are just giving little.”

As women generally don't own land they often use forest resources for subsistence as safety nets and even to generate modest incomes. Women ensures the wise use of our natural resources.

Women also provide basic needs in rural societies. The main one being food. The main activity of rural women is to provide food for the family. In rural communities, women provide over 70% of labour directly in food production, fuel wood collection, pole wood for construction and building, fetching of water for domestic use, etc.

The close association of women and forests as rural managers and users has brought women to the fore front of tropical forest conservation that organized women are now fighting against deforestation and are actively involved in afforestation.

Majority of women depend on natural resources to feed their families thus sustainability is crucial to them if they have to sustain livelihood.

Therefore, women come in contact with land, forest, soil, etc. especially on land. When crops fail to produce high yield due to exhaustion, women deal with the modification of farming practices like provisions of local manure to replenish the soil.

You and I are the women who can wipe the tears of these women by conserving our environment and our natural resources for the present generation and the aspirations of the future generations.

Written by Jeje Aanutomide Abisoye

jejeaanutomide@gmail.com