EACOP affected women call for an end to destructive oil and gas development
The women say the oil and gas developments including the pipelines land acquisition have already accelerated land grabbing, gender based violence, forced evictions and hunger and also increased environmental degradation.
Women affected by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) in the Albertine region have called for an end to destructive oil and gas developments.
The women say the oil and gas developments including the pipelines land acquisition have already accelerated land grabbing, gender based violence, forced evictions and hunger and also increased environmental degradation which have left women in the livelihood hardships.
“The productive land for agriculture has been taken for oil and gas developments as speculators and rich people grab land leaving women- who have for long lived on the land for survival- in livelihood hardships. I believe that further developments means that more land will be taken leaving us the women homeless,” said Gorret Kiiza, a resident of Kakindo village in Buliisa town council.
During the Grassroots Women Movement coordinated by National Association of professional Environmentalists (NAPE) in Hoima, the women from Hoima, Buliisa, Kikuube, Kiboga and Kyankwanzi districts said women are already greatly affected by social and economic challenges from the existing challenges calling for an end to further developments.
“Clearing the vegetation to pave way for infrastructural developments like roads, pipelines and airport has contributed to drying up of the existing water sources and climate change effects leading to food insecurity,” said Peninah Ruhindi from Kigaaga village in Kabale sub county Hoim district.
“Livelihood hardships have made women more vulnerable to sexual exploitation and increased gender based violence,” she added.
Rajab Bwengye , the Coordinator of Programs at NAPE said NAPE has mobilized women to join grassroots women movement to be able to advocate for women’s rights. He said women are stronger when they stand together in solidarity and continuously demand for their rights.
Frank Muramuzi, the NAPE Executive Director said oil extractives will choke soils, pollute the continent, accelerate hunger and worsen climate change calling for an end to oil drilling and pipeline construction.
He said NAPE will continue empowering communities that are opposed to dirty fossils and able to defend their rights in face of human rights injustices exacerbated by oil and gas extraction in Uganda.
