Environmental Degradation and Women’s Engagement in the Ogoni Clean-up Project

Abstract

This article examines the gendered impact of environmental degradation in the Niger Delta and efforts at remediation with a focus on the Ogoni Cleanup Project (HYPREP). Rural women in Ogoniland are primary users of the land. Their dependence on the environment for sustenance puts them at the forefront of those impacted by environmental pollution. In their daily household chores of cooking, fetching water/wood, and washing clothes in addition to farm work and fishing, women are more prone to dermal contact with contaminated soil/water. This study makes an argument for a gender-sensitive approach in the remediation and clean-up process in Ogoniland. In examining ways in which women are implicated in environmental concerns in Ogoniland, an ethnographic survey was carried out in the four local government areas of Ogoniland –Eleme, Gokana, Tai and Khana. Individual and focus-group interviews were conducted with women across different social strata. Extant literature on oil-related activities was reviewed. Of great importance were key documents on Ogoni’s environmental condition, particularly UNEP’s environmental assessment of Ogoniland, as well as several reports by Amnesty International on oil spills and environmental degradation in the Niger Delta. The study puts women at the forefront of the research and this allows a nuanced discussion of the peculiar needs of women, their capacity and challenges in the ways they use, manage, make decisions and benefit from environmental resources. The Ogoni Clean-up Project has the potential to empower women and promote gender equality, but gender inclusivity must be adopted into all aspects of the project's design and implementation. The work contributes to the literature on women and environmental management and can be used by policymakers for developing more inclusive policies on natural resource management.