Panel Discussion: The Gender Impacts of the Chad-Cameroon Oil Pipeline and the West African Gas Pipelines

Please join us for a discussion on the gender impacts
of the Chad-Cameroon Oil Pipeline and West African Gas Pipelines (WAGP), both
financed in part by International Financial Institutions (IFIs), namely the
World Bank Group and European Investment Bank.
Gender Action and Friends of the Earth International
teamed up in 2010 to conduct a gender analysis of the pipelines in Cameroon,
Nigeria, Togo and Ghana, an initiative that represents one of the only efforts
to highlight women’s priorities and perspectives in areas traversed by the
pipelines. Based on fieldwork, our analysis reveals that, while IFIs provided
financial security to the oil and gas multinational companies that profited from
pipeline development, they failed to adequately protect vulnerable social groups
in affected communities, particularly women. Consequently, these gender-blind
investments increased women’s poverty and dependence on men; caused ecological
degradation that destroyed women’s livelihoods; discriminated against women in
employment and compensation; excluded women in consultation processes; and led
to increased prostitution. At this event, we will present our gender analyses of
the pipelines and recommendations for improving IFI track records with regard to
extractive industries and women.
Korinna Horta of Urgewald and
Sonia Lowman of Gender Action will discuss the broad gender impacts of
extractive industries, background on the relevant pipelines, and context for our
gender analysis field work; Betty Abah from Friends of the Earth Nigeria
will share her first-hand exposure to women in affected communities in West
Africa and details on her gender rights advocacy work in Nigeria. Eime
Watanabe of the World Bank Inspection Panel will highlight barriers
preventing women from taking gender-based pipelines or other complaints to the
panel for redress.

  

Speakers
Betty Abah (Friends of the
Earth Nigeria)
Eime Watanabe (World Bank Inspection
Panel)
Korinna Horta (Urgewald)
Sonia Lowman (Gender Action)


  

Moderator
Liane Schalatek, Heinrich Böll Foundation

  


Sponsors
Gender
Action, Friends of the Earth
International and Heinrich Böll Foundation

  

No RSVP required.