On the second day of the “Women and Men Are Equal – 21st Century Equality” conference, actor Mert Fırat opened the session by highlighting the gendered impacts of the climate crisis: “As you know, the climate crisis is one of the common agenda items worldwide. According to a report by the UK-based Women’s Environmental Network, tens of thousands of women lose their lives every year due to climate-related causes. Of the 28 million people displaced by climate-related disasters, 20 million are women.”
The session, “Climate Crisis and Gender Equality,” was moderated by academic and advisory board member Itır Erhat, with Tabit Founder and Social Entrepreneur Tülin Akın and Sustainable Development Expert Aylin Gezgüç as speakers. As Doç. Dr. Itır Erhat introduced her, Tülin Akın was celebrated as the “Queen of the Agricultural World.”
“When Climate Crisis Hits Agriculture, It Hits Us All”
In her speech, Tülin Akın emphasized:
“The impact of the climate crisis on agriculture affects all of us. Previously, the sowing, planting, and harvest periods of crops were fixed and predictable seasonally. Farmers could expect to plant the same crops at the same time each year and achieve consistent results. Traditional knowledge worked reliably. However, due to climate change, crops may suddenly ripen early or late, making marketing unpredictable and challenging. Agriculture is already heavily affected by natural disasters, and crops stored in uncovered or poorly protected facilities are vulnerable to every type of calamity. This situation heavily impacts farmers. In agriculture, women and men contribute equally to the workforce and production, yet women are often counted as homemakers rather than farmers. In fact, agriculture is one of the few sectors in the world where women and men participate equally in the workforce.”
Her words highlighted both the challenges posed by climate change and the critical role of women in sustaining agricultural productivity.