Page 10 - Social_Philanthropy

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Just as nature works through energy flows and a complex web of networks that maintain ecosystems,
female networks have made possible to maintain family and social life in a dynamic way, empowering their
members. Informal networks that have survived in hostile environments and have given many women
education, voice, vote and participation. In this way, the links and interdependencies used by women
throughout history have conformed a model of networked participation for a more just and sustainable
social and environmental transformation. The connection between environmental degradation,
exploitation and gender-based violence requires comprehensive responses that recognize rights, especially
those of women, children and nature (AIM2Flourish, 2019).

2.4 Best practices and cases

Case 1: Maasai women and Aloe

The harsh conditions in Kenya do not prevent Maasai women from
subsisting on their own, cultivating aloe and discarding negative traditions.
In Twala, Laikipia, Rosemary Nenini coordinates a women’s group and is
the main driver of change in that community. She has personally taken
charge of preserving many aspects of Maasai culture, such as the manual
arts, the use of medicinal plants and the community’s lifestyle, while
trying to eliminate the negative parts of their culture: female genital
mutilation (suffered by children between 10 and 18 years old), child
marriage and illiteracy among girls.

She began attaching the problem of mutilation by persuadding older
generations of Maasai women into postponing it after their daughters
completed secondary school. This gave this children the chance to study
before that event, which then led to those children to oppose the Source: Maasai woman (Sneha,
mutilation. On the other hand, in the dry and arid lands of Kenya, 2019)
aloe applied for the most suitable plant to cultivate. This plan is consi-
derably attached to the Maasai culture, and is really appreciated in traditional medicine. Earning money
with this activity prevented families from selling their children to fight poverty, and also enchanced the
relationship between men and women in the Maasai community (Mellett, 2019).

Case 2: Action for climate empowerment (ACE)

The Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) is the agreed name for Article 6 of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change, reflected in this Article 12 of the Paris Agreement, and which
includes six interdependent and interrelated dimensions: education, training, public awareness, public
participation, public access to information and international cooperation.