Action 2015 Ghana rides women on bamboo bikes for climate action

The bamboo bike market is still growing and it is growing at a faster rate in its own niche market.

Bicycle ridership has grown over the last few years globally and bicycle enthusiasts all over the world are gradually eyeing bamboo bikes.

The bicycle advocacy is increasing as the wind of global warming and climate change issues blows the world over, coupled with increasing cost of steel and aluminium, higher fuel prices and other environmental concerns.

As part of the Action/2015 Ghana advocacy campaigns, campaigners used this year’s International Women’s Day commemoration to urge government to invest in the establishment of a bamboo plantation to support climate mitigation strategies.

Action/2015 Ghana in partnership with civil society groups organized two major activities in Greater Accra and Eastern Region under the theme: “Rethinking Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality in 2015 and Make it Happen”.

The activities involved a bamboo bicycle road show in which Miss Tourism Ghana and a former winner of the Ghana Most Beautiful pageant rode bamboo bicycles through some principal streets.

“I am happy to be an ambassador for action/2015 Ghana and particularly excited to promote this bamboo bicycle to mark International Women’s Day as part of my rural community development based project which works to improve educational and equal economic opportunities for women in rural Ghana,” said Miss Tourism Ghana 2014, Naa Teidey Ofori.

She noted that the project is helping to improve the environment and creating employment opportunities for the youth, women and people with disability.

The former Ghana Most Beautiful, Lamisi Sam Awinongya, noted that women in developing countries are not only victims of climate change but also effective agents of change in relation to adaptation, mitigation and disaster reduction strategies.

“Their responsibilities in households and communities as guardians of natural resources have prepared them well for livelihood strategies adapted to changing environmental realities,” she stated.

The road show attracted market women and created a platform for young women to count various milestones and progress made so far whiles calling for greater equality.

Coordinator of action 2015/Ghana, Kenneth Nana Amoateng, said rural women need equal access to natural resource such as land and water, adding that investing in women through agriculture, education and child care will make young girls and women stronger to contribute their quota in their communities for national development.

“We stand at the turning point for the future of people and the planet. We must accelerate action and leave no citizens behind. We will raise our voice today for the generations of tomorrow and demand Action,” he concluded.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh