Hillary vows $50mn Global Climate Resilience Fund

Kuda (PTI): Hillary Clinton on Monday announced a Global Climate Resilience Fund of 50 million dollars for women to fight climate change in association with the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) founded by late activist Ela Bhatt.

The fund will empower women and communities to fight climate change and help provide new livelihood resources and education, she said. She visited salt pan workers in the Rann of Kutch near Kuda village in Gujarat and learnt the process of salt production and hardships faced by them.

“Today, Clinton Global Initiative with American Indian foundation, SEWA and other organisations, I announce 50 million dollar Global Climate Resilience Fund for women,” she said.

“I have had the privilege of working with Elaben (Bhatt) and SEWA for nearly 30 years. But we are thinking about next 50 years,” she said.

“Whether you’re in construction, waste recycling, plastic, or a farmer, your challenge to make an income working through heat will be the next big problem,” said Clinton, who is on a two-day visit to Gujarat from Sunday.

She had attended a programme in Ahmedabad on Sunday to mark 50 years of SEWA as a trade union and paid homage to its founder and renowned social activist Ela Bhatt, who passed away in November last year.

During the event, she had said heat caused by climate change poses an additional challenge to women workers in informal sectors and the Global Climate Resilience Fund will help tackle this challenge.

On Monday, Clinton said she started talking to Reemaben Nanavati, SEWA’s director, regarding the new struggle that heat is presenting, because every job that members of the women’s trade union represent “will be affected by heat.”