Do you have something to say?

It was a really wet Saturday as I stepped out of my house to go to Dalston community centre. I was excited to be at the event called Porridge and Knowledge. There is always something homely about hot breakfast – whether its scrambled eggs or porridge (what we call dalia back home in India). That was not the only reason that got me out of bed that morning. I had been invited for a talk at this community event on sustainability and climate change. I was excited and nervous at the same time. I was going to talk about the gendered impact of climate change in our world. What does that mean, you ask? It refers to the differential impact of extreme events due to climate change on men and women. The reason for the difference in impact is less biological but more due to social norms and gender stereotypes that create distinct circumstances for men and women in daily lives which get exaggerated in extreme situations–this in turn implies unequal power dynamics and unequal access to solutions.

I could hear the raindrops outside as I walked up to take the stage. I could see the gaze of the audience follow me. I felt responsible. I wanted it to be worth their time and effort to listen to what I had to say. I tried to sense the level of engagement by maintaining eye contact – I saw a few heads nodding. A number of hands shot up once I finished – there were comments as well as questions. Are developed countries affected as much? Why is this important to you? Why go to Antarctica? How can we change things in our community? And, in that moment, listening and answering questions, I understood the power of discussion and communication. It is important for us to speak about the complex challenges in the world– it gives space for people to share their experiences, to learn from others, to openly discuss even if they disagree, thus, opening the possibility of changing opinions. That day I learnt that if one feels passionately something, it is our responsibility to voice that opinion and engage in discussion with people around us, even those who disagree!