Today, April 22, we met with members of the “Mothers’ Space” and the eco club of Public School No. 18. The meeting was held with the support of the “Women’s Fund.”
We introduced the participants to the environmental challenges in our city. The main focus, of course, was on the air pollution problem and the description of the Gavigudet (We’re Suffocating) activities. We discussed the history of the movement’s formation, the stages it has gone through, the difficulties of activism, and the results achieved. We discussed the main pollutants that cause air quality in Rustavi to be poor or very poor in most cases. We also talked about the dangers of air pollution and the short-term and long-term effects on our health from breathing polluted air. We particularly highlighted the problems that air pollution creates for women’s health, including the risk of dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation) increases by 33% due to exposure to polluted air; air pollution negatively affects the reproductive system and increases the risk of breast cancer. We discussed the economic cost and social burden of air pollution.
Against this background, we emphasized the role of women and their special attitude towards environmental issues.
Additionally, participants learned how to check air quality from the portal.
Furthermore, we introduced the participants to the activities of the “Eco Center” and provided information about planned future activities. Within the framework of the importance of waste reduction and recycling, we talked about our campaigns – plastic waste and paper collection. Among other things, several meeting participants have already brought sorted plastic to our collection point.
An interesting discussion took place at the end of the meeting. We were asked many interesting questions about steps to implement an eco-friendly lifestyle or the current situation in improving air quality in the city. Participants individually shared their assessments and emotions with us, and we’re glad that our meeting brought them news. We hope to continue active cooperation with them.