David Attenborough Says Keeping Girls in School Could Save The Planet
The year 2020 was to redefine life as we knew it.
Incredible efforts by the scientific community brought us hope by the end of the year through the development of vaccines in record breaking speed.
Furthermore, David Attenborough’s important documentary A Life on Our Planet gave us his simple vision for a sustainable existence on Earth for the human species. His practical goals and actions to regain balance with nature once again included the need to:
Phase out fossil fuels for renewable fuels
Upgrade efficient food production and decrease meat consumption
Manage our oceans through no fish zones and international treaties
Rewild the world and reverse the 60 per cent decline in wild animals in the last few decades
To me, this seemed ironic as we continue to fight a global pandemic; a reflection of a world out of balance. However, our achievements so far fighting the coronavirus also give hope that Attenborough’s goals can be achieved by our ongoing progress and developments in many of these areas.
The single biggest idea Attenborough discussed was to bring the human population to a stable size – no longer growing and demanding more resources from the planet. He argued that this may happen by the end of this century due to demographic changes already underway, but we needed to work to make this happen sooner and at a smaller peak number. And this could only happen by investing in education, improving women’s rights and raising people out of poverty. If we can do this, Attenborough believes it will change everything and bring forward the opportunity to regain balance.
“By giving all access to healthcare and enabling girls, in particular, to stay in school as long as possible, we can make it (the population) peak sooner and at a lower level. Why wouldn’t we want to do these things? Giving people a greater opportunity.”
David Attenborough
I obviously recommend everyone to watch the Attenborough documentary – like masks, it should be mandatory. But what has this all got to do with The Cova Project?
“By giving all access to healthcare and enabling girls, in particular, to stay in school as long as possible, we can make it (the population) peak sooner and at a lower level. Why wouldn’t we want to do these things? Giving people a greater opportunity,” David Attenborough, A Life on Our Planet.
And that is clearly where The Cova Project fits in……..the team educates women and girls on reproductive and menstrual health. By providing a menstrual cup that lasts 10 years we can help a girl to move from primary school, through secondary school and even university. Better managing her period removes a proven barrier to keeping girls in schools and women in jobs.
The Cova Project highlights a little-known issue – period poverty. Educating girls and women about their sexual reproductive health and giving them the tools they need to be independent, is the essential groundwork to support economic development. By using menstrual cups, we decrease the impacts of the environment through avoiding single-use products such as pads or tampons.
I think David Attenborough would say “Bravo” for The Cova Project and what is more I plan to write to him and tell him about The Cova Project.
But apart from writing to David (I am now using first names as we will need to get to know each other a little more!) I have also been inspired to make 2021 a year of action. I am going to immediately change my electricity to renewable energy and whilst I investigate home solar alternatives, I will try to increase the plant-based parts of my diet whilst ensuring any meat or fish we eat are from sustainable sources.
Most importantly I am going to invest in organisations that are working in areas that will help to bring about a stable population sooner and top of my list will be The Cova Project.
Written by Nell Anderson (The Cova Project Ambassador)