Source: BBC Radio 4: Today
URL: N/A
Date: 27/12/2018
Event: Mary Robinson: climate change a "man-made problem and requires a feminist solution"
Credit: BBC Radio 4
People:
Mishal Husain: Mary Robinson is best known as a former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, but in recent years she's been focussed on climate change, with a new UN role and as co-host of a podcast called Mothers of Invention. It features women solving climate-related problems around the world. And climate change is one of the themes of this morning's guest-edited programme, thanks to Martha Lane Fox. Mary Robinson joins us now - good morning.
Mary Robinson: Good morning.
Mishal Husain: Why women and climate change?
Mary Robinson: Because it's women who change behaviour, in the family, in the community, and who are coping in many, many parts of the world that are vulnerable to climate change, with becoming more resilient. The book that I've brought out on climate justice is a whole series of stories, 11 stories and 9 of them happen to be about women. So our podcast, Mothers- and I didn't know a year ago what a podcast was, but I've learned and I have a great co-host in Maeve Higgins. But our byline is that climate change is a man-made problem and requires a feminist solution.
Mishal Husain: It's quite a burden, isn't it -
Mary Robinson: I do explain - I think I need to explain that "man-made" is generic - it includes women - and a feminist solution definitely includes men. But it's a solution based on equality.
Mishal Husain: But this is a time, isn't it, when, you know, we need big action on climate change - I mean, that was clear from the stark report that came out from the IPCC recently. I mean, that's a government issue, isn't it, rather than for individual women?
Mary Robinson: Absolutely, but the point is that we're not getting the governments to look far enough ahead and plan for the future that we need to get to very quickly. We have less than 10 years - 12 years - to reduce by 45% our emissions, and until governments become more urgent - now, how do we do that? I think by individuals, particularly women, deciding to do something themselves. I'm now a pescatarian, I'm not eating any meat. I love meat but I'm not going to eat meat any more, because I want to show we need to take steps in our own lives and then get angry with governments. And I hope that women around the world, and young people in particular, will, you know, start to say "Look, we're doing our best but our governments are not". Business leaders that are not fossil fuel [sic] are much more ambitious about reducing emissions than government leaders.
Mishal Husain: Your work takes you all around the world today, on climate change and on other issues as well. I want to ask you about some pictures that were released just in the last few days, of you in Dubai with Sheikha Latifa, one of the daughters of Dubai's ruler, who reportedly tried to escape abroad earlier this year and was forcibly returned. Why were you seen with her? How did that come about?
Mary Robinson: I was asked by Princess Haya, who I've known for a long time, and who's also married to the ruler of Dubai. She's not directly related to the princess Latifa but she asked me to come to Dubai and help with a family dilemma. And the dilemma was that Latifa is vulnerable, she's troubled - she made a video that she now regrets, and she planned an escape, or was part of a plan of escape. It's under circumstances that I think need to be examined, because immediately there was a very big demand note for 300 million dollars and 30 million right away. And then she was taken off the boat and is now in the care of her family, and I had lunch with her - she's a very likeable young woman but clearly troubled, clearly needs the medical care that she's receiving. We talked about climate, actually, because I had given a copy of my climate book to Princess Haya -
Mishal Husain: I just wanted to ask you - what she said in her video, which was seen around the world, was that she was imprisoned for three years and tortured repeatedly on her return. Now, the government of the UAE has said that you were reassured that she's receiving the necessary care and support she requires, so do you think you were able to have a frank conversation with her? You know, given the circumstances in which you met her, where she's with her family.
Mary Robinson: I was able to assess the situation - she wasn't with her wider family, she was with Princess Haya and some of Princess Haya's younger family, and you know, two other people. It wasn't a big number - I was very aware -
Mishal Husain: Princess Haya is married to her father.
Mary Robinson: Yes, I was very aware of how troubled she appeared to be but also that she, you know, talked about being a sky instructor - a skydiving instructor - to the two 11-year olds who were at the table, and she talked about the future, and we talked about climate change and I mentioned that I would be back in Dubai in early March, because my book is - I'm promoting it at the Emirates Literary Festival - I also sent a report -
Mishal Husain: To - to those who are concerned -
Mary Robinson: Excuse me - I want to say this - I also sent a report that evening before - to Michelle Bachelet, the current High Commissioner for Human Rights. And while I was in Dubai I had a telephone conversation with the most recent High Commissioner, Zeid, who's also a good friend. These are good friends of mine - we discussed the case.
Mishal Husain: Okay, so to those who are concerned about Sheikha Latifa, you would say you are assured that she is being well looked after.
Mary Robinson: Yes, I think it's a very complicated situation, I understand the concern, I talked - I've also been in an email exchange with Ken Roth, the head of Human Rights Watch, because I know they've been very concerned. But I think you have to bear in mind that this is a troubled young woman who has a serious medical situation - she's receiving psychiatric care and they don't want her to endure any more publicity, and that was the dilemma. So when I wrote to Michelle Bachelet, I sent her three photographs that I was happy would be released to help the family to, um, allow it to be understood that this is a family matter now and that she is in the care - and loving care - of her family.
Mishal Husain: Mary Robinson, thank you very much.