EnviroPress Reporter

June 5 of each year marks the World Environment Day with this year’s edition being commemorated under the theme ‘Solution to plastic pollution’ acknowledging the detrimental effects of plastic pollution to the environment.
The 2023 theme for the commemorations unites the world in recognizing that plastic pollution has indeed become a global problem but what remains to be seen is whether the world will unite in coming up with a global solution.
The Women Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) Masvingo chapter led a group of like-minded organisations and stakeholders among them Centre for Gender and Community Development in Zimbabwe (CGCDZ), the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), City of Masvingo and Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) in trying to come up with localized solutions to deal with plastic pollution.
WCoZ Masvingo chapter chairperson Moreblessing Manenji said plastic pollution can only be addressed starting from the grassroots where individuals especially women can take a leading role.
“Women play critical roles towards sustainable protected environments hence women need to lead in the development of sustainable environmental rights, climate justice and accountable natural resource governance.
“We work to amplify the voices of women in advocating for gender integration and women’s rights perspectives in climate justice and governance and to amplify the visibility and voice of grassroots women to gendered climate justice and governance through creating and supporting platforms for national, regional and global advocacy,” said Manenji.
She paid tribute to Masvingo’s women health clubs in ridding the environment of plastics through recycling initiatives.
“Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose and it is unhealthy for humans and wildlife to just dump them into the environment.
“I want to appreciate the efforts being done by women health clubs here in Masvingo who are collecting plastic from the environment for recycling. They are making money while at the same time cleaning the environment,” said Manenji.
CGCDZ official Juliet Mureya implored the world to unite in finding lasting solutions to plastic pollution.
“Everything that affects the delicate balance of our natural ecosystem affects women the most. Protecting the environment means we would have protected women from a lot of harm chief among them being climate change.
“Plastic is very hazardous and there is need to come up with a lasting solution on how to deal with plastic pollution because the future looks bleak for our seas, oceans, flora and fauna,” said Mureya.