Meena Khanal (English)
Channel: Kanka Kanak
Date: 07/08/2021

Very unique—a woman in the predominantly male Nepalese government—Meena
Khanal of Kathmandu, Nepal always dreamed that she would work for her country, traveling the world and serving those in need of aid. Passionate about protecting the natural environment and helping the people of Nepal, Meena’s career took her from working at the Ministry of Tourism to her position today, the Joint Secretary, of the Ministry of Environment and its Gender Focal Point.

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. More than eighty percent of its total area falls in the rural sector, and women’s daily activities in these areas—like water, food, and fuel collection— depend on natural resources that are at risk due to changes in precipitation and temperature patterns, variations which cause flood, drought, and ecosystem degradation. Women generally lack access to the opportunities and resources that are available to men: they have less access to an education, less social and political status, and make less pay for the same work. All of these factors make Nepalese women particularly vulnerable to climate change.

Meena’s journey has been revelatory with regard to gender, both in the personal barriers she faces and the lens through which she views her work. “At COP13, it seemed that the prevailing belief was that in terms of climate change, gender didn’t matter,” says Meena. Having received a post-graduate diploma in Women’s Studies, Meena set out to research the linkages between gender and climate change, particularly in the context of Nepal.

In this interview he will tell us what effects the climate emergency has on Nepalese glaciers. He will also demand that it be the nations responsible for rising temperatures that take charge of the investments needed to meet the current challenges.

Song "Yedjudjima" composed and performed by Toka Era.