Javed Hussain becomes first Pakistani to win Gender Just Climate Solution Award

Environmentalist pushes for social, climate justice for women cotton pickers

Pakistani environmentalist Javed Hussain won the ‘Gender Just Climate Solution Award’ during the Climate Conference COP27 in Egypt. He is the first Pakistani to have received the award.

Hussain secured the honor for the project titled ‘Advancing the labor rights of women cotton pickers in Pakistan’.

The environmentalist hails from Hala and has actively worked on the impact of climate on women cotton pickers in Mitiari and other parts of Sindh province, which is one of the most flood-affected districts in the province.

A total of 259 organisations from 119 countries, including Pakistan, submitted their applications for the awards, and only three were awarded during the ceremony on Monday.

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The Women and Gender Constituency of Women Engage for Common Future, an organization affiliated with the United Nations, in its press statement said that SCF uses a feminist participatory action research approach to support the demands of women agriculture workers.

“Located in the Mitiari district of Pakistan, the foundation developed an innovative advocacy strategy linking social and climate justice,” it stated. The foundation’s “goals are to strengthen climate adaptation measures, establish a training program for 100 women agriculture workers on climate awareness, climate justice and labor rights protection,” it elaborated.

After receiving the award, Hussain spoke to the participants and said that: “it is a first that our efforts have been recognised on a global platform. We still need support for achieving climate justice for women agriculture workers”.

Speaking to The Express Tribune from Egypt, Hussain said he was the first environmentalist from Pakistan to get this award and said “it’s a moment of great celebration”.

“We need to seriously work on the impact of climate change and especially to consider women,” Hussain stressed adding that his organisation had been struggling for the last many years to spread awareness among the masses to combat climate change.

According to the World Bank Group's Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR), Pakistan needs a mammoth $348 billion in eight years – 800% more than the current annual budget – to stop climate-induced disasters. Climate change, however, has the potential to shave off one-fifth of the economy if no action is taken now, says a new report released by the World Bank.