Padang, West Sumatra - Indonesia‘s Andalas University, Britain‘s Brighton University and Thailand‘s Asian Institute of Technology are conducting research on gender and environmental development in Padang, West Sumatra.
The research‘s aim is to defend women‘s interests and protect their rights, an Andalas University staffer said.
"Women‘s rights in developing countries are often marginalized and this is why little has been done to improve the quality of life for women. This issue is the main topic of the research," Andalas University researcher on gender studies Nusyirwan Effendi said here Thursday.
The research was being conducted in Padang because Padang women were playing many roles, Effendi said, adding that the research was of great significance so the cooperation between the three universities in the studies would last a long time.
Brighton University as one of Britain‘s centers of gender studies also had a strong commitment to research gender issues now that women played a strategic role in saving the environment.
Women‘s role in enviromental issues was also an important object of the research.
"Pollution of the environment has led to global warming and the negative impact is directly felt by women rather than by men," he said.
The three universities had formed a working group which was meeting every Thursday to discuss the topic of their research.
At the end of the cooperation, Andalas University would be asked to chair an international seminar on gender to be held in one of the three countries involved in the research.
"For Andalas University, the preparations for the international seminar will help us to finalize preparations to open a new study program on gender and the environment in February next year," Effendi added.
Source: http://www.antaranews.com (September 06, 2008)
