managing their natural surroundings and adopt several mechanisms to deal with the
environmental crises they face. However, they further observed that the responses of
the government have not been significant and that women, men, and children thus
continue to face problems such as pollution, poor services, human waste pollution,
fumes from household fuels, and the consequences of soil erosion and flooding.
Akramolmolok and Narjes (2017) evaluated the potential of rural women in
protecting the environment in Marzanabad Village, Iran. They affirmed a positive
relationship between the social, economic, and cultural rights of women and recognized their environmental awareness and empowerment in environmental protection.
Many studies (Shettima 1996; Sachs 1997; Norouzi and Bakhtiari 2009; Rahmani
et al. 2010; Chelala 2011; Annabestani et al. 2012, Dowlati and Hemati 2012;
Ghanbari et al. 2012; Ahmadvand and Sharifzadeh 2011) have proven that women
establish a direct relationship with their environment through their involvement in
various environmental activities. They, therefore, earn considerable knowledge
about protecting and caring for their environment. However, their roles in such
endeavors have not been given sufficient attention. Meanwhile, Kirk and OkazawaRey (1998) and Amirnejad and Rafei (2009) disagreed with such results and
corroborated that women’s involvement in environmental activities are too below
average or even very low due to their insufficient knowledge and experience on how
to deal with such environmental activities. For instance, Kirk and Okazawa-Rey
(1998) asserted that women’s environmental activism is an extension of their roles as
daughters, wives, and mothers who care for their families and communities. Therefore, determining the various ways on how women actively participate in environmental protection and management is necessary, with the aim of integrating them
into an environmental management program, given that our world faces many
problems, such as the illegal dumping of solid and hazardous wastes, climate
change, and the destruction of biological resources. The present study aims to
investigate women’s involvement in environmental management with particular
reference to Gaza Strip, Palestine.
5.2 Research Method
The study was conducted to investigate the status of women’s participation in
environment in Gaza Strip, Palestine. Questionnaire was adapted from past studies
by Adebayo and Anyanwu (2005) and Wuyep et al. (2014). A simple random
sampling technique was employed to select the participants in this study. The
targeted respondents were women who participated in environmental activities in
Gaza Strip. Out of 95 sets of questionnaire distributed, there were 70 sets of the
questionnaires that were completely done and returned which were useable for the
findings analysis. The response rate was 74.3%. The data collected through the
questionnaire was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS)
version 20.0.
5 Relationship Between Women and Environment Toward Sustainable. . .
65
environmental crises they face. However, they further observed that the responses of
the government have not been significant and that women, men, and children thus
continue to face problems such as pollution, poor services, human waste pollution,
fumes from household fuels, and the consequences of soil erosion and flooding.
Akramolmolok and Narjes (2017) evaluated the potential of rural women in
protecting the environment in Marzanabad Village, Iran. They affirmed a positive
relationship between the social, economic, and cultural rights of women and recognized their environmental awareness and empowerment in environmental protection.
Many studies (Shettima 1996; Sachs 1997; Norouzi and Bakhtiari 2009; Rahmani
et al. 2010; Chelala 2011; Annabestani et al. 2012, Dowlati and Hemati 2012;
Ghanbari et al. 2012; Ahmadvand and Sharifzadeh 2011) have proven that women
establish a direct relationship with their environment through their involvement in
various environmental activities. They, therefore, earn considerable knowledge
about protecting and caring for their environment. However, their roles in such
endeavors have not been given sufficient attention. Meanwhile, Kirk and OkazawaRey (1998) and Amirnejad and Rafei (2009) disagreed with such results and
corroborated that women’s involvement in environmental activities are too below
average or even very low due to their insufficient knowledge and experience on how
to deal with such environmental activities. For instance, Kirk and Okazawa-Rey
(1998) asserted that women’s environmental activism is an extension of their roles as
daughters, wives, and mothers who care for their families and communities. Therefore, determining the various ways on how women actively participate in environmental protection and management is necessary, with the aim of integrating them
into an environmental management program, given that our world faces many
problems, such as the illegal dumping of solid and hazardous wastes, climate
change, and the destruction of biological resources. The present study aims to
investigate women’s involvement in environmental management with particular
reference to Gaza Strip, Palestine.
5.2 Research Method
The study was conducted to investigate the status of women’s participation in
environment in Gaza Strip, Palestine. Questionnaire was adapted from past studies
by Adebayo and Anyanwu (2005) and Wuyep et al. (2014). A simple random
sampling technique was employed to select the participants in this study. The
targeted respondents were women who participated in environmental activities in
Gaza Strip. Out of 95 sets of questionnaire distributed, there were 70 sets of the
questionnaires that were completely done and returned which were useable for the
findings analysis. The response rate was 74.3%. The data collected through the
questionnaire was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS)
version 20.0.
5 Relationship Between Women and Environment Toward Sustainable. . .
65