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25 05, 2026

Climate anxiety: ‘I don’t want to burden the world with my child’

2026-05-25T22:13:56-04:00Tags: |

Climate anxiety is chronic distress over the future of the planet and people. It can manifest as “sadness, depression, grief, despair, anger, frustration, and confusion.” It’s also showing up in conversations around children. Some people see having a child as a further strain on our resources while others worry about the quality of life for any potential children they do have.  This is true in developed as well as developing countries. In 2021, 10,000 people (aged 16 to 25) were asked whether climate change made them hesitant about having children. Of the respondents from Australia, Brazil, India and the Philippines, 40% said yes. This was between 30-40% in France, Portugal, the UK and the US while Nigeria was 23%. Women like Julia Borges from Brazil, Shristi Singh Shrestha from Nepal, and Ayomide Olude from Nigeria have chosen not to have any or more children. Instead, they have tapped into community, action, and courage to transform their climate anxiety into climate care.

9 03, 2026

Who Gets to Shape the Future?

2026-06-21T18:57:57-04:00Tags: |

From sustainable design to climate policy, there is an egregious lack of consideration and inclusion for people with disabilities. A lack that leads to “disrupted healthcare systems, inaccessible evacuation routes, destroyed assistive technologies, and heightened vulnerability in extreme heat, flooding, and displacement.” However, after nine years, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has finally recognized the Disability Caucus. Advocates such as Gina Cortés Valderrama helped facilitate this along with over 100 organizations. However, this isn’t just about representation or checking off a diversity box. It’s about designing climate frameworks with disability in mind, from the beginning to the end and ongoing. This is also not simply about accommodations. As Valderrama puts it, “When you design for all bodies and ask what a genuinely accessible, dignified, and safe world looks like for someone with complex mobility needs, or chronic illness, or sensory difference – you end up designing better for everyone.” That’s the sustainable future we should be creating – one shaped for all of us, by all of us.

25 04, 2025

‘We Are Nature’: Indigenous Women Come Together at the United Nations

2026-03-26T00:37:21-04:00Tags: |

On April 22nd, 2025, women from across the world convened at the United Nations Plaza to recount the longstanding, systemic difficulties they have faced in reclaiming ancestral lands. Indigenous women from Kenya, Tanzania, Siberia, the Onondaga Nation, and the Choctaw Nation spoke to the imperative of remaining dedicated to respecting Indigenous sovereignty, traditional knowledge systems, and free, prior, and informed consent. The stories shared revealed common themes of reservations, Indigenous territories, and sacred or culturally important lands being violated and polluted by sewage discharge and oil pipelines. Cindy Kobei, a member of the Ogiek people, emphasized the need for action and follow through with legislative and political decisions, describing how, despite the Ogiek being formally recognized as the ancestral owners of the forest per a 2017 African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights ruling, evictions and violence against them persist. Seeking to foster feelings of inspiration and hope, Galina Angarova, a representative of the Buryat peoples from Siberia, recited a poem written by members of “A Growing Culture,” saying that “[i]t’s not a time to despair, it is a time to press our palms to the soil, to dream in the language of our ancestors and to plan visions no regime can uproot.”

19 04, 2025

Women Friendly Cities Challenge

2025-04-19T16:59:10-04:00Tags: |

The ‘Women Friendly Cities’ Challenge is an initiative by the Women Transforming Cities International Society aimed at compiling and integrating an international collaborative library of Wise Practices. This website serves as a living library, featuring Wise Practices from around the world that contribute to making cities more women-friendly, providing women and girls with the spaces and resources to live full, safe, and meaningful lives. Historically, women and girls have long been an afterthought in urban design processes, often sidelined and excluded. The idea for this initiative originated at the United Nations Habitat III conference in October 2016 and was launched at the World Urban Forum in February 2018. These ‘Wise Practices’ are locally-appropriate actions, tools, principles, or decisions that significantly contribute to developing sustainable and equitable social conditions. They evolve and are refined as individual and community experience and knowledge expand, and can come from any sector, including governments, civil society, grassroots organizations, the private sector, or academia.

17 04, 2025

Sustainable Style, Powered By Women: Ending Fast Fashion’s Reign

2025-07-10T00:57:31-04:00Tags: |

Behind the expressive and creative fashion industry lies a dark secret: it is one of the most environmentally damaging industries, often exploiting women through underpaid jobs and unsafe workspaces. However, many women have been leading the ethical fashion movement, bringing about positive changes in the industry. Lisa Folawiyo from Nigeria is one of them. Moving away from fast fashion, she focuses on using leftover fabric to design modern clothes with traditional African prints in a more sustainable way. Stella McCartney is another pioneer, creating sustainable and cruelty-free collections using recycled and plant-based materials. McCartney also strives to improve transparency in the industry. In addition to environmentally conscious designers, female consumers play a major role in the ethical fashion movement, as they make up over 85% of the consumer base. Their choices represent the kind of world they wish to live in.

3 04, 2025

What If Your Clothes Could Actually Clean The Air?

2025-07-10T00:31:00-04:00Tags: |

In 2022, the fashion industry accounted for over 4% of all carbon emissions, surpassing both the aviation and shipping industries. Major fashion brands continue to overlook these dire conditions. However, a few innovators have turned pollution into promising new products that act as carbon sinks. Jennifer Holmgren, the CEO of LanzaTech, is one of them—her company recycles carbon and has partnered with On Running to produce CleanCloud, a sneaker midsole made with 20% recycled pollution. Similarly, sisters Georgia, Nina, and Sophia Scott founded Groundtruth, a luggage company that uses recycled plastic embedded with carbon emissions as hardware. While these companies are taking steps in the right direction, more sustainable solutions are needed, as only 30% of their materials can act as carbon sinks. Furthermore, technological innovations have yet to address overconsumption habits and often overlook the workers in the Global South, who are most affected by the fast fashion industry and the impacts of climate change.

14 11, 2024

Climate Change: Women’s Role In The Economy Is Key To A Just Transition

2025-07-10T01:02:07-04:00Tags: |

The adverse effects of climate change are being felt across the globe, sparking a growing movement to transition to low- or no-carbon economies. While these transitions are largely positive, the gendered nature of the social and economic issues they aim to address is often overlooked. As a result, many policies designed to support a low-carbon economy end up sustaining or even worsening gender inequalities. Researchers Julia Taylor, Katrina Lehmann-Grube, Sarah Cook, Somali Cerise, and Imraan Valodia highlight that to ensure these transitions are gender-just, power dynamics in climate policymaking must be taken into account. Reflecting on the gendered impacts of transition through a feminist lens, their research emphasizes that participatory justice, distributive justice, recognitional justice, and restorative justice must be core components of just transition policies. These elements are essential to addressing current shortcomings and ensuring that women and other disproportionately affected groups, who are most impacted by climate change, also benefit from transition policies.

21 10, 2024

How biodiversity loss affects women, and how to turn the tide

2025-07-29T22:09:58-04:00Tags: |

In October 2024, UN Women released a data brief on gender and biodiversity, highlighting the potentially dire future ahead and outlining the necessary actions to mitigate its worst impacts. This article highlights that the effects of the ‘triple planetary crisis’ — biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution — affect everyone, but women and girls will feel specific consequences for their health, wellbeing, and financial security. These effects vary depending on additional social vulnerabilities and the degree of reliance on biodiversity. Women’s livelihoods in rural communities, especially within the poorest households, are typically dependent on natural resources. Biodiversity loss reduces their access to resources, threatens their basic subsistence, food security, and income, and increases the burden of unpaid labour. It’s estimated that 26% of employed women work in agriculture. Millions more are informally dependent on local ecosystems for daily responsibilities such as fetching water and firewood, fishing, and subsistence farming. Increased water scarcity and aridity and decreased water quality greatly impact these activities, present health risks, and are correlated with higher rates of child marriage. Furthermore, it’s been found that when faced with food scarcity, women typically prioritize their family’s nutrition and reduce their food intake. In a similar vein, women disproportionately act as caregivers, and the mounting health impacts of pollution and habitat loss lead to a growing burden of care. Despite their clear stake in combating environmental crises, women continue to be excluded from decision-making, representing only a fraction of leadership roles in environmental ministries. There are solutions, however. One overarching approach is gender equality in the systems of power over land and resources. The article notes that “Indigenous women in particular should play leadership roles.” Enhancing gender equality in land management, ownership and tenure security, and environmental decision-making could improve women’s quality of life and ensure that green spaces are kept green. 

18 07, 2024

Views: From Venus to Earth: Building cities that are inclusive of women

2025-06-11T23:04:09-04:00Tags: |

The article argues that cities often lack female representation in decision-making roles, leading to urban planning that overlooks women’s needs and perspectives. Despite progress toward gender equity, women’s marginalization in Malaysia’s built environment sector hampers the development of inclusive urban spaces, affecting housing, transportation, and safety. Engaging women in this sector requires more than increasing their numbers; it involves fostering an inclusive ecosystem where their voices shape planning and leadership. Encouraging girls to pursue relevant education and leadership roles and dismantling barriers like gender bias are essential in creating equitable and resilient cities. The article highlights gender-focused initiatives globally. In Vienna, Austria, gender mainstreaming integrates women’s perspectives in city planning. Curitiba, Brazil prioritizes women’s safety with women-only buses and well-lit stops. New York City, U.S.A. promotes walkability and public space revitalization, including the High Line Park. In Paris, France, Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s leadership enhanced sustainable development and accessibility for women. In Singapore, Dr. Cheong Koon Hean led initiatives improving accessibility, safety, and community spaces, catering to women and vulnerable groups. These women are leading the charge for safer, more accessible, and more equitable cities.

18 04, 2024

Recognizing Women’s Unpaid Care Work For Food Security and Climate Resilience

2026-05-30T10:06:51-04:00Tags: , |

Women and girls in the Global South disproportionately undertake unpaid care tasks, working on average three times more than men. This restricts their opportunities for education and employment, affects their health, and deepens their vulnerability to poverty. Much of this work occurs in rural agricultural areas and is exacerbated by climate change. As environmental degradation intensifies, work at home and on the land increases whilst compounding poverty crises. People are forced to leave for cities in search of work, often leaving women behind to carry even greater burdens. Women also spearhead integral unpaid community-centred labor that drives climate resilience, supports food security, and protects ecosystems. The links between unpaid care work and climate change are often overlooked in policies, programs, and research. Addressing these issues requires looking at the issues together and recognizing the crucial roles women play in climate adaptation. Organizations such as CARE International and the International Research Development Centre are raising awareness and adjusting projects accordingly, for example, through recognizing the need for champions who challenge unequal gender norms and through adjusting timings of sessions to ensure women can meaningfully participate in training and activities.

21 03, 2024

Georgina Johnson On Disability Justice In Times Of War

2025-07-10T00:02:06-04:00Tags: |

The escalating conflicts in Gaza, Yemen, and Sudan have had devastating effects on innumerable people, causing widespread death, destruction, and displacement. Georgina Johnson notes that people with pre-existing disabilities—and many who become newly disabled, both physically and psychologically—are disproportionately affected in war zones yet are often overlooked. She also emphasizes that chemical agents are increasingly being deployed as invisible weapons of war. As a result, communities that rely on the land for their livelihoods are left paralyzed, with destabilizing and disabling consequences that can last for generations. Disability justice and climate justice therefore remain central to fostering peace and ending conflict. Curator Lorén Elhili and Dr. Samaneh Moafi, a researcher at Forensic Architecture, explain that land itself has been weaponized in these conflicts and that destroying plant-based ecosystems is a deliberate strategy to disrupt and sabotage local agricultural economies. Consequently, states not only struggle to feed their citizens, but their reduced capacity to invest in vital services such as medical care disproportionately harms people with disabilities. Likewise, Dani Admiss observes that chemical degradation of the environment, driven by capitalism, surrounds us all. Farzana Khan, co-founder of Healing Justice London, adds that the most vulnerable are failed by today’s welfare systems; she calls for life-affirming, land-based community medicine centers to address these injustices.

14 03, 2024

Who Are Green Jobs Really For?

2024-09-13T15:18:16-04:00Tags: |

The push for "green" jobs in traditionally male-dominated fields like energy and construction, while commendable, risks reinforcing gender disparities unless we expand our vision to include the care sector. Shockingly, despite women's significant contributions to the care economy, a report by the International Despite initiatives like Biden's American Climate Corps and the European Green Deal promising millions of new, well-paid positions, women remain significantly underrepresented in green industries. Shockingly, only 32% of jobs in renewables worldwide are held by women, as highlighted by a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency. By overlooking the significance of care jobs in green investment, policymakers miss an opportunity to create a more just and caring economy that prioritizes human rights, gender equity, and environmental wellbeing. Recognizing care work as essential to green investment isn't just about fairness—it's about harnessing the power of women to drive transformative change towards a sustainable future. By diversifying the green workforce and implementing gender-sensitive policies, we can pave the way for a truly inclusive transition that values the contributions of all individuals, regardless of gender.

8 03, 2024

The Missing Piece: Valuing Women’s Unrecognized Contribution To The Economy

2025-07-10T01:06:28-04:00Tags: |

In 2018, the International Labor Organization estimated that around 16.4 billion hours were devoted to unpaid care work every day. If compensated at an hourly minimum wage, this labor would amount to 9% of global GDP—an astounding $11 trillion. The care economy includes both unpaid and paid work that involves nurturing and supporting individuals and communities, such as childcare and domestic chores. However, the gender disparity within this sector is often overlooked. Globally, women spend an average of 4 hours and 25 minutes per day on unpaid care work, making them responsible for 76.2% of all unpaid care activities. In OECD countries, unpaid work accounts for 15% of GDP, while in Latin America and the Caribbean it represents 21.4%. Women contribute 66% and 74% of this unpaid labor in these regions, respectively. This disproportionate burden of caregiving not only limits women’s participation in the labor force but also reinforces gender norms and perpetuates structural inequalities. To address this imbalance, more policies are needed to introduce social protections and invest in care infrastructure that supports women’s entry into the workforce—advancing gender equality and unlocking the full potential of women's economic contributions.

6 03, 2024

Empowering Women: Leading the Sustainable Fashion Movement

2025-07-29T22:18:00-04:00Tags: |

Women around the world are leading the sustainable fashion movement. While some preserve traditional, eco-conscious practices, others are adopting innovative techniques to make the industry more ethical. Eppie Archuleta is one such artisan, dedicated to preserving ancient methods, using traditional looms to weave in the Southwestern Hispanic style. Eileen Fisher is another pioneer who founded her own brand using fabrics that are recyclable, regenerative, and renewable. Her clothing line prioritizes sustainability and ethical practices, ensuring her garments contribute to a circular economy rather than a linear one. Advocacy for transparency, fair wages, and ethical production practices has also been a core part of the movement, led in large part by women. Livia Giuggioli Firth, an environmental activist, co-founded Eco-Age which helps businesses adopt sustainable practices. Orsola de Castro, another pioneer, co-founded Fashion Revolution and continues to champion ethical production and sustainable fashion. Similarly, Safia Minney has been a leader in the sustainable fashion space, playing a key role in advancing the Fair Trade movement. These inspiring female leaders have paved the way for organizations like Passion Lilie, which offers a three-month, free training program for aspiring female artisans to become tailors. The collective efforts of these women are not only reshaping the fashion industry but also setting new standards that prioritize both people and the planet.

4 12, 2023

Meet The Next Generation of Climate Storytellers

2025-04-19T16:25:46-04:00Tags: |

In honor of COP28, Art Partner hosted a challenge for artists to submit work related to climate and environmental issues, honoring the importance of storytelling in this activism. The second place winner was Kasha Sequoia Slavner, whose documentary 1.5 Degrees of Peace highlights four young activists fighting for demilitarization and environmental justice in their respective homes. Another woman artist, Chloe Karnezi, was one of 5 runner-ups for her piece Junkspace. Junkspace gives disposed items a second life through imaginative imagery and art. Another winner, Julia Daser, developed an interactive art piece called Flooded House where the viewer decides the extent of destruction, encouraging participants to feel empathy and responsibility for destruction caused by climate change. María Legaristi Royo, another winning artist, created a series of photographs titled Mhaijeratt Tales: Living Amidst Landfills displaying the resilience of a community uniting to protect their environmental health despite their proximity to hazardous waste. These women artists, among the other competition winners, instill feelings of loss, anger, resilience, and community through their artwork, setting the tone for COP28 and future international meetings.

23 11, 2023

Evening Up the Eco Gender Gap

2026-05-25T21:22:49-04:00Tags: |

Women are often hit harder by the effects of climate change and lack an equal voice in shaping policy, despite evidence that their increased representation leads to more effective climate action. According to this article, women are also more likely to care deeply about the planet and do more to protect it. Market research firm Mintel points to an ‘eco gender gap,’ finding 71% of women say they actively try to live more ethically compared to 59% of men. Women also experience higher rates of ‘eco-anxiety,’ at 59% compared to 49% of men. Misogyny plays a role in this. Research suggests some men avoid eco-friendly behaviours such as using reusable bags, recycling or adopting vegetarian or vegan diets because these actions are perceived as feminine. This attitude has increasingly been weaponised by far-right groups to advance misogynistic and climate denial agendas. Martin Hultman, associate professor at Chalmers University of Technology, says, we need to “change the culture and how we relate to nature and climate.” Tackling the climate crisis is everyone’s responsibility, regardless of gender.

26 10, 2023

Why does gender matter in a ‘just transition’?

2025-02-21T17:42:34-05:00Tags: |

The International Institute for Environment and Development discusses what a just transition would look like and the implications of gender justice in the process. A just transition is a shift from an exploitative to a low-carbon, sustainable, and regenerative economy. The transition necessitates the redressing of past harms and dismantling of current power structures for a just future for all, with a central goal of leaving no one behind. Women and gender minorities have been leading global climate action but are simultaneously the most vulnerable to climate change. They have been actively and systemically left behind during climate disasters which have exponentially worsened existing inequalities. The IIED’s webinar explores feminist approaches for an inclusive transition, highlighting successful examples and the roles and needs of women in the process.

10 10, 2023

Climate crisis is ‘not gender neutral’: UN calls for more policy focus on women

2025-03-27T13:30:36-04:00Tags: |

Despite its importance, only one-third of nations have included sexual and reproductive health as part of their plans to combat climate change. Of the 119 national plans published, only 38 include access to contraception and maternal and newborn health, while just 15 make any reference to gender-based violence. Increasing temperatures result in poorer maternal health and pregnancy complications, such as earlier deliveries and stillbirths. Intensified natural disasters damage health facilities, disrupt care, spread waterborne diseases, and increase the risk of violence and child marriage. Of the countries with published plans, only Paraguay, Seychelles, and Benin specified needed to build climate-resilient health systems, and only Dominica mentioned the need for contraception. Vietnam is the sole country to identify economic instability as a drier of child marriage. Climate change impacts demographics differently, and its unique harm towards women must be addressed in policy in order to reach a just future.

26 09, 2023

The Artist-Activists Ushering In a New Energy Democracy

2025-04-09T23:15:04-04:00Tags: |

Amidst the seismic shift away from fossil fuels declared by the International Energy Agency, a new wave of artist-activists is emerging to champion energy democracy. At COP26, amidst Glasgow's verdant Botanic Gardens, recycled milk bottle moths, symbolic of collective yearning for representation, fluttered in a testament to the transformative power of mass participation art curated by Chloë Uden's Art and Energy Collective. This movement transcends mere advocacy for renewable solutions; it allows individuals to reshape their energy narrative and envision a decentralized, democratized future. Crystal Huang from the Energy Democracy Project stresses the need to shift power dynamics beyond renewable solutions alone. Enterprising community energy groups exemplify this ethos, democratizing energy ownership and governance. Take, for instance, the Soulardarity group in Highland Park, Michigan, where residents, facing utility repossessions and ensuing darkness, united to reclaim control over their energy infrastructure. Installing solar-powered street lights, complete with a mesh wifi system, Soulardarity embodies the transformative power of grassroots action. Beyond providing sustainable power, the ethos of energy democracy serves as a catalyst for systemic change, fostering a global awakening to interconnectedness and collective agency.

11 09, 2023

Reweaving the Future: Inside Fashion’s Biomaterial Revolution

2025-06-04T21:02:09-04:00Tags: |

The fast fashion industry’s fragmented supply chains, use of harmful chemicals, and rising pollution have led a new wave of innovators to develop planet-positive materials. In 2020, Elissa Brunato founded Radiant Matter to produce naturally sparkling materials from plant-based cellulose, offering an organic alternative to the 33 million sequined garments demanded during the UK festival season that often end up in landfills within five years. As biomaterials gain popularity for addressing the industry’s ethical and environmental burdens, Alissa Baier-Lentz’s company, Kintra Labs, has drawn major fashion brands by creating a biodegradable polyester alternative from corn. Similarly, Noriko Fukushima, communication specialist at Spiber, explains how Brewed Protein, the company’s biomaterial, is produced using naturally-derived protein fibers through fermentation. She claims that the Brewed Protein is both durable and versatile making it an innovative textile solution. Bringing attention to underwater ecosystems, Keel Labs, founded by Tessa Callaghan in 2017, produces Kelsun, a seaweed-based fiber. These materials are essential for designers building responsible brands—like Hillary Taymour of Collina Strada, who uses grape leather, rose sylk, and recycled cotton. However, nature-derived textiles are not new and have long been used by Indigenous communities. Their practices remain an inspiration to the fashion industry today.

11 09, 2023

Reweaving the Future: Inside Fashion’s Biomaterial Revolution

2025-05-22T12:50:37-04:00Tags: |

The fast fashion industry’s fragmented supply chains, use of harmful chemicals, and rising pollution have led a new wave of innovators to develop planet-positive materials. In 2020, Elissa Brunato founded Radiant Matter to produce naturally sparkling materials from plant-based cellulose, offering an organic alternative to the 33 million sequined garments demanded during the UK festival season that often end up in landfills within five years. As biomaterials gain popularity for addressing the industry’s ethical and environmental burdens, Alissa Baier-Lentz’s company, Kintra Labs, has drawn major fashion brands by creating a biodegradable polyester alternative from corn. Similarly, Noriko Fukushima, communication specialist at Spiber, explains how Brewed Protein, the company’s biomaterial, is produced using naturally-derived protein fibers through fermentation. She claims that the Brewed Protein is both durable and versatile making it an innovative textile solution. Bringing attention to underwater ecosystems, Keel Labs, founded by Tessa Callaghan in 2017, produces Kelsun, a seaweed-based fiber. These materials are essential for designers building responsible brands—like Hillary Taymour of Collina Strada, who uses grape leather, rose sylk, and recycled cotton. However, nature-derived textiles are not new and have long been used by Indigenous communities. Their practices remain an inspiration to the fashion industry today.

26 07, 2023

Society Leaves Disabled Communities Sweltering

2023-11-29T18:40:26-05:00Tags: , |

Disabled people make up the world’s largest minority and yet they have not had opportunities to participate fully in society. The climate crisis has exacerbated these inequities. Yessenia Funes highlights stories and statistics from around the world, emphasizing the societal barriers to civic participation that go beyond individual conditions. The rise of heat waves have put disabled people at increased risk of health complications. These disabilities can make extreme heat and light exposure inherently more difficult, causing individuals to lack the ability to perspire or make it painful to be in high light/heat areas. On top of that, there are structures in place that complicate life for disabled people, such as lack of accessible housing, lack of inclusion in emergency response protocols, economic challenges, and other social determinants of health that affect them every day. Amid the crisis, they are losing their lives at disproportionate rates. This is worsened further for historically underserved groups, such as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and rural communities. Disabled people have had to innovate and adapt to survive their regular lives, and now the changing climate. This kind of thinking is vital for climate adaptation. Climate resilience must include accessibility and inclusion so that everyone is able to live full, equitable, and enjoyable lives.  Photo credit: Yaorusheng/Getty Images

6 07, 2023

The Limitations of Eco-Anxiety

2025-04-19T16:01:32-04:00Tags: |

Tori Tsui, a mental health activist and environmentalist, wrote the book It’s Not Just You: How To Navigate Eco-Anxiety and the Climate Crisis as a way to dismantle individualism and nihilism in the environmentalist community through an intersectional lens. In her discussion with Daphne Chouliaraki Milner, Tsui discusses the shortcomings of the term eco-anxiety – specifically how it is often depicted as a fear of the future, ignoring the present-day and historic climate-related challenges people in the Global South and Black and Brown communities face. She emphasizes that the increasing rate of mental health crises across the globe is a reflection of an inequitable, unsustainable social and political system that prioritizes profiting off of distressed people instead of solving systemic issues. Milner and Tsui further discuss the meaning of community, maintaining that community is the people one surrounds themself with, not an unobtainable group of perfect people. Ultimately, Tsui emphasizes the need for collaboration, declaring that community is the antidote to capitalism.

17 06, 2023

Guest Article: Climate Response for Drylands Must Include Women | SDG Knowledge Hub | IISD

2025-02-14T12:51:28-05:00Tags: , |

The drylands, holding 40% of the world’s population, are feeling the force of climate change—and women are being hit the hardest. Dryland landscapes and communities are suffering immensely from more frequent and extended drought conditions. In these already water stricken regions, women typically bear the brunt of food and water related work, including gathering and distributing. Under drier conditions, women need to walk farther for water. These changes are resulting in decreased time for livelihood generation and education, increasing their future economic vulnerability and excluding them from resources. Despite their essential contributions, land laws, social norms, and local policies have barred women from decision making and land owning, diminishing their ability to access and control natural resources. In the Middle East and North Africa Region, for example, women make up just 10% of environmental ministers. When women’s voices are excluded, their conditions are erased and they are put in more danger when disaster comes. Thus, increasing women’s involvement in decision making around dryland forests and pastoral regions creates more informed, gender responsive, and effective policies. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has teamed up with WeCaN, a platform of women’s organizations working together to bring change to the dryland regions, to share these stories and uplift women in climate policy.

16 05, 2023

Ecofeminism in Architecture: Empowerment and Environmental Concern

2025-05-24T18:39:56-04:00Tags: , , |

Camilla Ghisleni explores the concept of ecofeminism in architecture, highlighting female architects who are creating inclusive change within the field. The article begins by presenting the concept of how ‘othered’ both women and nature are when perceived through a male, patriarchal lens. Landscape architect Elizabeth Meyer has noted how in these male-centered societies, women and other marginalized communities are excluded. As a retaliation to this dichotomy, ecofeminism, a term created by Françoise d’Eaubonne around 1974, combines the ideologies of feminism and seeks to present holistic structures and worldviews that include regard for natural systems and connections. A key principle of ecofeminism is its emphasis on the disproportionate impacts women face concerning climate change. A UN report found that women are more often reliant upon natural resources due to their lack of financial wealth in comparison to men. Furthermore, they bear the brunt of the workload when it comes to child rearing and care for the elderly. This being said, architect Yasmeen Lari is making change for women as her work in improving the Pakistani chulah, an outdoor stove, by creating a cheaper and healthier alternative for women. These stoves are smokeless and are built on raised platforms which shield them from flood damage and create more sanitary and ventilated environments. Another project incorporating ecofeminsim is the Anandaloy Center for People with Disabilities in Bangladesh, which draws largely on women’s labor with earth and bamboo. Sustainability must go beyond technical dynamics and necessitates the inclusion of cultural, gendered, and economic dynamics.

27 04, 2023

The New Era of Social Media is Shaking Up Climate Activism. Here’s How

2025-04-19T16:07:39-04:00Tags: |

Though social media brings in many complications, activists have used it to their advantage to push for change. TikTok’s long history of data privacy issues and harmful content promotion has not stopped its popularity from continuing to soar, especially with young adults and teenagers. On Earth Day 2023, the media giant announced a new policy to remove climate misinformation and prioritize science-backed content. For climate activists, this news is especially exciting. X, formerly known as Twitter, has curbed its efforts against misinformation and hate speech after Elon Musk purchased the platform. Dominka Lasota, a Polish climate activist, expressed her distress that the platform that has become a powerful way for activists to create change now has to be fought for to become a safe space again. Leah Thomas, activist and founder of Intersectional Environmentalist, also adapted to the abrupt change in X’s content, taking to other social media platforms like Instagram. As social media becomes more fragmented and polarizing, climate activists change their social media use to maximize their impact and build communities.

20 04, 2023

The Sustainable Climate Future Belongs to Women

2025-03-23T01:52:26-04:00Tags: , |

This article explores the pivotal role of women in combating the climate crisis and why it is imperative to bolster their endeavors. The text acknowledges the severity of climate change while drawing inspiration from women spearheading conservation, agriculture, and restoration projects. It sheds light on  funding discrepancies that primarily benefit larger, male-led environmental organizations, sidelining grassroots initiatives led by women. A standout example is the work of Flávia Neves Maia in Brazil. The article underscores the interconnected challenges women face, including food insecurity and health impacts stemming from climate change, emphasizing the demand for evidence-based solutions. It calls for global recognition and support for women's contributions and advocates for solidarity and unity in tackling the climate crisis while adopting a compassionate approach toward our planet.

4 04, 2023

The Sustainable Climate Future Belongs To Women

2025-03-06T00:47:00-05:00Tags: , |

Zainab Salbi, co-founder of the environmental nonprofit organization Daughters for Earth, is bringing attention to the lack of acknowledgement and financial support received by women-led organizations, where incredible work and innovations are being held back by lack of funding. Women making practical changes behind the scenes continually go unnoticed. They are neglected in philanthropic donations, with the majority of this money going to the 20 largest, predominantly male-led, organizations. With numerous large technology-based projects in motion, attention must finally be given to crucial smaller-scale projects such as Filha do Sol—a women-led effort to restore degraded mangrove forests in Northwest Brazil. With adequate funding, this project could prevent the release of 42,177,836 tons of carbon into the atmosphere, as well as improve the livelihoods of local communities who depend on these forests for their food and income. To help scale-up and maximize the impact of projects like this, Daughters for Earth is raising and deploying $100 million to women-led environmental projects across the globe.

31 03, 2023

Meet 5 women documenting the effects of climate change around the world

2025-04-19T17:18:59-04:00Tags: |

This article highlights the work of five women photographers who are documenting the effects of climate change around the world. These photographers include Nichole Sobecki, Matilde Gattoni, Esther Horvath, Yadira Hernández-Picó, and Mette Lampcov. They capture images that emphasize the connection between humanity and the natural world, shedding light on climate change’s impact on various communities and environments. Their work aims to raise awareness about climate change and its consequences, particularly in underrepresented communities. These photographers hope to provide a deeper understanding of the complex issues related to climate change and dispel stereotypes associated with it.

31 01, 2023

Women Are On The Frontlines Of Climate Change But Not At The Negotiation Table

2025-03-06T00:50:11-05:00Tags: |

Women are continually being underrepresented in climate change discussions, with only seven of the 110 officials leading discussions at COP27 being female. This exclusion of women reflects a failure to commit to achieving gender equality at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, where men occupied 61% of membership positions involved in decision-making. At COP27, women accounted for only 35.6% of participation, marking a decline from recent years, in spite of many of these organisations claiming to recognise the crucial role of women in addressing climate change. Women are currently bearing the worst of the impacts of climate change and their representation is vital in climate discussions. Findings show that when women and marginalised groups are included in decision-making, better climate policy and social equity is achieved. Furthermore, data from McKinsey states that organisations with greater gender diversity on executive teams are 25% more likely to have higher profitability. It is therefore imperative for social and climate justice that women are properly represented at the negotiation table.

3 01, 2023

Climate Change Puts More Women At Risk For Domestic Violence

2025-03-06T00:51:50-05:00Tags: |

Multiple studies have established a clear link between climate change and violence against women, with a global review of over 40 studies published in The Lancet revealing a rise in gender-based violence during or after extreme weather events. However, Nitya Rao, a professor of gender and development at University of East Anglia, highlights that this has been hard to capture in statistics due to the complex factors involved, and thus not given adequate weight. However, recent research established that there had been a 60% increase in domestic violence in Kenya during extreme weather. Scientists find that rather than directly causing violence, extreme weather exacerbates other drivers of violence by increasing existing pressures or making violence easier to carry out. The authors of this article shed light on the stories of numerous women across the globe who have experienced increases in abuse as a result of climate change. These women explain how natural disasters have put them in dangerous domestic situations which required many of them to flee their homes.

19 12, 2022

How Asian-Pacific Islanders Shaped Environmental Activism

2023-11-28T20:41:44-05:00Tags: , , |

Asian-Pacific Islanders have been on the frontlines of the climate crisis—both by being disproportionately and uniquely affected by disasters and geological shifts, but also driving innovation, hope, and change in their communities and around the world. Youth climate activist, Alexia Leclercq, presents an anthology of stories and milestones from Asian-Pacific Islander activists and community leaders as they move through generations of challenges. These communities have built up resilience and strength throughout centuries of colonization, capitalism, and now the climate crisis, and use their knowledge to further progress in all areas. Leclercq draws on her experiences and identity through her journey in the climate movement, and emphasizes the need for “radical listening” to make change. Representation in climate spaces is not sufficient; we must deeply listen and actively learn from the experiences and ideas of those who know this space most intimately. We must honor the unique identities that come into the movement, and come together to make restorative progress. Photo credit: Moonassi

28 10, 2022

Cities aren’t designed for women. Here’s what’s needed next

2024-02-15T12:40:26-05:00Tags: , |

This article discusses the UN Development Program’s report, Designing Cities that Work for Women, which cites four critical areas of improvement to better suit women’s needs. These include: safety and security, justice and equity, health and wellbeing, and enrichment and fulfillment. The article further elaborates on these areas of improvement by discussing examples of changes needed to improve cities for women. The first is increasing female voices in leadership roles. This includes seeking out female viewpoints to inform city planning decisions, as well as using gender-disaggregated data. The second example is incorporating the celebration of female achievement within cities. This section cited how only 2-3% of city statues portray women. If improved, this can aid in women feeling a sense of belonging within their city. The third example is to improve safety in public spaces and on public transport through the use of design, violence prevention laws, education, and technology. Lastly, the fourth example confronts the need for increased water and sanitation, as the collection of water is vastly the responsibility of women and girls globally, with about one-third of women lacking access to safe toilets. The article closes by restating the importance of redesigning cities holistically and to increase the role that under-represented communities have in urban development.  Photo Credit: Unsplash/João Ferrão

10 10, 2022

Give legal rights to animals, trees and rivers, say experts | Environment | The Guardian

2024-02-14T12:01:36-05:00Tags: , |

This article discusses the perspectives of the authors, Dr. Wendy Schultz and Dr. Trish O’Flynn, who co-wrote the report, Law in the Emerging Bio Age. Their report emphasizes the importance that legal frameworks have in the interactions between humans, their environments, and biotechnology. Dr. O’Flynn elaborates on the common misperception that humans are outside of nature and the ideology that nature is something for humans to control or alter. Dr. O’Flynn also highlights the potential of implementing legal protection for non-human species, such as allowing other species to achieve their own potential cognitively, emotionally, and socially. With the continuing developments in biotechnology, questions concerning ethics also arise about the role that humans have in using it. Dr. Schultz suggests the creation of an accountability framework would ensure consequences for these actions, which is where Rights of Nature laws would play their most crucial role. The article closes by calling attention to the difficulty of spreading this approach in western countries as opposed to others who have already adopted legislation protecting the Rights of Nature.  Photo Credit: Dušan Veverkolog (Unsplash)

5 10, 2022

“A successful climate transition could help create a more peaceful world”

2025-03-24T22:52:36-04:00Tags: |

Nina von Uexkull is a peace and conflict researcher who advocates for a just climate transition and sees benefits for both the natural environment and people in exposed areas. von Uexkull began working with the Uppsala Conflict Data Program in their Department of Peace and Conflict Studies. The database makes it possible to see when and where people died in armed conflicts. She then combined this data with her interest in climate issues. Her work has shown that people in drought-prone areas are more likely to support violence. She has linked similar effects to floods. While these connections are not yet sufficiently strong, von Uexkull hopes her research can predict behaviors and prevent the risk of violent confrontations. She was selected in June 2022 for the Oscar Prize for young researchers.

28 09, 2022

Gender, care and climate change — why they are connected

2023-11-29T18:02:25-05:00Tags: , |

Imraan Valodia, Siviwe Mhlana, and Julia Taylor deconstruct the interlocking crises of the care sector and explain why they are important to sustainable environmental and economic development. One crisis is the lack of representation of unpaid work in economic calculations. During the global lockdown, many realized that health care and domestic services, both paid and unpaid, are essential for sustaining our collective livelihoods. This work, disproportionately taken on by women around the world, creates resilient economies and caters towards environmental protection. This leads to the second crisis―care for the environment and the climate crisis. Historically underserved communities contribute the least to the perpetuation of the crisis but are at the forefront of local and global solutions. They are, in essence, the caretakers of the environment. However, they are the most impacted by climate disasters. Women already face barriers to accessing education, economic mobility, healthcare, and other services due to their roles as caretakers, and the compounding crises of care place additional burdens on them. Valuing care in all of its forms, and supporting caretakers in every field, is vital to addressing the crises. Photo credit: Daily Maverick

13 07, 2022

First climate agreement to center Indigenous Voices gains international support

2025-03-24T18:28:50-04:00Tags: |

The United Nations pushed for widespread adoption of the Escazú Agreement, the first climate agreement focused on Indigenous perspectives. It upholds the notion that protecting the environment requires uplifting, engaging, and centering Indigenous communities. Multiple activists, such as Patricia Gualinga, an Amazonian women spokesperson, and Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN’s executive director, spoke up during the conference to advocate for Indigenous knowledge and protection. Indigenous environmental protectors are often hurt or killed during their work. During both illegal and permitted logging and mining, Indigenous communities are frequently displaced or disproportionately affected by resulting health issues. The Escazú Agreement aims to prevent these injustices, calling for stricter protections for Indigenous communities and environmental activists.

8 07, 2022

If we want to build truly sustainable cities, we need to think about how women use energy and space

2024-02-15T12:41:53-05:00Tags: , |

In this article, Rihab Khalid discusses her research on how cities are gendered and how men and women use energy differently in Pakistan, India, Nigeria, and Ghana, finding three important components to energy usage differences. The first component of Khalid’s research finds that there is a gap in gender-specific data that tells us how and when women use energy. The second component is that women are underrepresented within the energy field and account for as little as 22% of energy workers. Lastly, even when energy policies attempt to be gender neutral, they still often marginalize women’s energy needs. For example, Khalid cites power outages as having a greater impact on a woman’s daily routine as opposed to a man’s, as women still do the vast majority of unpaid domestic work. Furthermore, Khalid discusses the importance of including gender in urban planning and development as women face numerous difficulties in urban spaces, such as not having access to or feeling safe on public transit. Khalid closes by emphasizing the connection between energy, gender, and space and how their interactions must be considered in order to create better sustainable cities. Photo Credit: N/A

20 04, 2022

Funding for women-led conservation remains tiny, but that’s changing fast

2025-04-23T11:13:51-04:00Tags: |

The article highlights significant gender and racial disparities in climate change philanthropy. It notes that 90% of funding goes to white-led organizations, with 80% led by men, and only 0.2% supports women and environmental projects. Initiatives like the Wild Elements Foundation, Women's Earth Alliance, Daughters for Earth, and WE Africa are providing funding, skills, and publicity for women-led environmental efforts. The Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action (GAGGA) offers flexible financial support for groups addressing women's rights and environmental justice. The article underscores the need to increase funding for women-led conservation to address environmental challenges effectively.

28 03, 2022

‘Marine conservation talks must include human rights’: Q&A with biologist Vivienne Solís Rivera

2024-09-16T09:53:04-04:00Tags: , |

Vivienne Solís Rivera, a prominent biologist, actively advocates for a human-rights-based approach in the Geneva negotiations on the Global Biodiversity Framework. She raises concerns about the impact of the 30×30 conservation target on the fishing rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs), emphasizing the need for a climate justice framework. The discussions prioritize sustainable fishing practices, equitable participation, and diverse governance models. Rivera's work highlights women's resilience and resistance, promoting decentralized and accessible solutions that uphold climate justice. An open letter signed by environmentalists, scientists, and human rights advocates calls for the inclusion of human rights in the 30% conservation goal. It addresses concerns regarding exclusive marine protected areas denying fishing access to small-scale fishers and jeopardizing livelihoods. The letter emphasizes collaboration with IPLCs, recognizing their effective land and ocean management and stressing the importance of protecting women's rights, Indigenous rights, and the rights of local communities

28 02, 2022

Gender-Based Violence And The Climate Crisis: An Obstacle To Climate-Resilient Communities

2025-03-06T00:56:14-05:00Tags: |

Climate change poses a grave threat to human rights due to its tendency to exacerbate already present inequalities globally. A significant inequality that receives relatively little attention is the impacts of climate change on women, particularly in terms of gender-based violence. Climate disasters Furthermore, these women often do not have access to the economic resources needed to stay afloat if their jobs are impacted by a climate disaster. This often leads to women having to seek illegal, and often environmentally-damaging, work such as logging, illicit crop cultivation, and wildlife trafficking. Research shows that involvement in such activities also increases cases of sexual exploitation particularly for women. Alternatively, women may seek refuge in camps which also have a tendency to make women vulnerable to gender-based violence. Finally, in many of these communities there is a reliance on women to provide food for their families, and when climate change impacts this, the resulting stress and frustration can exacerbate domestic violence. Research also shows that gender-based violence has been used to intimidate and prevent women from making land claims which creates further environmental consequences by making the region less resilient to future climate disasters. This article highlights how the effects of climate change on women constitute a negative feedback loop where its impacts drive further environmentally detrimental practices and harm women.

17 01, 2022

Safety in Green Areas: It’s About People

2026-03-26T00:42:40-04:00Tags: |

Safety in green areas is a critical issue for women, whose access to parks and public spaces is often shaped by fear of harassment, isolation, and poor design. While green spaces can support wellbeing, connection, and climate resilience, women are more likely to avoid them if they feel unsafe or unwelcome. Safety is not only about physical infrastructure but also about social dynamics and who feels entitled to occupy a space. Factors such as lighting, clear sight lines, maintenance, proximity to help, and protection from traffic are especially important for women navigating public areas alone or with children. The article stresses that women’s perceptions of safety are shaped by lived experience and should be central to planning processes. It also cautions against defensive or exclusionary design that can deepen inequalities. By involving women and other marginalized groups in decision-making and fostering active, well-used spaces, cities can create green areas that are safer, more inclusive, and genuinely accessible for all.

4 11, 2021

Indigenous activists on tackling the climate crisis: ‘we have done more than any government’

2025-02-21T17:36:26-05:00Tags: |

Nina Gualina (Ecuador), Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim (Chad), Charitie Ropati (Alaska), Sara-Elvira Kuhmunen (Sweden), Emmanuela Shinta (Indonesia), and Amelia Telford (Australia) discuss the vital role of Indigenous women and communities in addressing climate change. They focus on what the world can learn from Indigenous people about how to protect the planet, creating a more just future, and what they hoped to see during COP26. Indigenous people make up only 6% of the global population yet protect over 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity. Living in harmony as part of nature and being stewards of the environment are central to the livelihoods of these communities. They are experiencing the impacts of climate change firsthand as the ecosystems they are linked to and have tended to for thousands of years are being destroyed. They are calling on the global community to join together in solidarity to heal the planet, emphasizing that we are all interconnected, all share this planet, and all owe the world care and respect. The world must turn away from capitalism and exploitative systems, come together, and listen to Indigenous communities as they lead us towards a more connected and protected future.

12 07, 2021

TikTok for the Planet

2025-04-19T16:11:00-04:00Tags: |

Young people across the globe are using TikTok to create educational content about environmental justice. TikTok’s algorithm curates the user’s For You Page (FYP) from the videos they watch, like, and comment on. This helps users with similar interests form communities within the app. Using this process, young creators are creating a subculture on TikTok focused on intersectional environmentalism, pointing out whitewashing and oppression within the climate activism field. They post videos about environmental issues they are passionate about while advocating for more diversity in the activist community. For example, TikTok creator Zahra Biabani combines online trends with optimistic eco-news and educational climate-related content. Sometimes, content creators in these communities struggle to expand their content’s reach due to TikTok’s algorithm favoring videos that do not address social inequalities. However, these groups are building a strong voice and valuable friendships through the app.

15 01, 2021

How to Build a City for Women – and Why Cars Take a “Back Seat” in Feminist Urban Planning

2025-12-11T13:43:23-05:00Tags: |

Lauren McAskie explores how the absence of a gender-inclusive perspective in urban design results in women being disproportionately disadvantaged in city travel. She highlights insights from Punt 6, a feminist urbanism organization based in Barcelona, that advocates for the inclusion of women as both subjects and experts in urban planning. Modern cities have been shaped by patriarchal and capitalist influences, primarily catering to male-oriented linear travel patterns centred around cars and work commutes. Meanwhile, women typically have more complex patterns and use public transport and walk more to fulfill unpaid and domestic labour, such as caring for children and elders. Yet urban spaces frequently neglect this diversity, and the dominant planning approach of large, homogenous areas designed for cars means that the mobility needs of women, children, and the elderly are disproportionately unaccounted for. The answer to this, experts argue, requires implementing "gender mainstreaming" — integrating an equal gender perspective in all stages of urban policies and designs. Vienna is presented as a leading example of this, having created the City Women’s office and conducted studies to understand how women move through the city, resulting in improvements in pedestrian access and street safety and making an equal gender perspective a legal requirement. Punt 6 outlines three pillars of feminist urban planning that all cities should adopt: centering the diverse realities of everyday life, creating safer urban spaces, and acknowledging women as community experts. They emphasize a comprehensive approach that involves full public participation at every stage and considers gender alongside factors like race and disability. While there is still a long way to go for most cities around the world, advancing an inclusive feminist approach to urban planning can lead to more cohesive and enjoyable urban environments that meet the needs of every community member. Transforming the way we move through cities also has broader environmental benefits — reducing transport emissions and improving community wellbeing directly improves our effects on the climate and our resilience to its impacts.

10 12, 2020

A Wave of Change: Jamie Margolin and Jane Goodall

2025-02-14T13:15:11-05:00Tags: , |

Jane Goodall, a primatologist known for her work to protect chimpanzees in Africa, shares insights about her career and thoughts on conservation initiatives with Jamie Margolin, the co-founder of a youth climate action organization called Zero Hour. Goodall highlights the interconnectedness of nature, where species respect one another and rely on each other for survival. They discuss ways we can learn from this relationship to support climate activism in urban environments, such as by planting native trees and preserving green spaces. Goodall also shares her experience working with communities in Tanzania during her chimpanzee research. She emphasizes that many people struggled to survive and could not afford to support conservation efforts. Goodall suggests that holistic approaches, community-based activism, and education are the keys to mitigating climate change. Both activists also highlight how young people have grown up learning about the effects of climate change, emphasizing how young activists' creative solutions are essential to protect the Earth’s future.

26 10, 2020

Curated Resources – Rainbows and Storms: LGBTQI+, climate crisis and pandemics

2023-11-29T18:28:09-05:00Tags: , |

The Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) has curated stories from across the world featuring women fighting for social and climate justice. Some features include poetry from Kamla Bhasin from India, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner from the Marshall Islands, and Aka Niviâna from Kalaallit (Greenland). These women reflect on gender, climate change, community, roots, and collective power, all of which are needed to bring about social and climate justice. This resource provides a short documentary that demonstrates the work of Noelene Nabulivou and a disaster response network that empowers local community members. Articles and podcasts written and produced by and for women outlining feminist framework for climate justice can be found in this curation. Photo Credit: AWID

21 05, 2020

Guardians of the Deep: Sylvia Earle’s Mission to Save Our Oceans

2025-04-18T11:40:12-04:00Tags: |

Marine biologist and ocean explorer Sylvia Earle, known as "Her Deepness," has spent over 7,000 hours underwater, earning numerous accolades for her conservation efforts. In an interview with Parley for the Oceans founder Cyrill Gutsch, Earle emphasized the crucial role of oceans in sustaining life on Earth. She highlighted the alarming human impact on marine ecosystems, from overfishing to plastic pollution, and underscores the urgent need for proactive measures to protect marine biodiversity. Despite the challenges, she remains hopeful, advocating for increased exploration and awareness to inspire action and safeguard our blue planet.

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