International

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29 03, 2023

Un Adopts Landmark Resolution To Define Global Legal Obligations On Climate Change

2023-07-30T13:59:42-04:00Tags: |

After years of activism by Pacific Islander youth, a historic climate resolution was passed by the United Nations to be sent to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The resolution requests that the ICJ clarify legal consequences for states that have significantly damaged the climate system and environment, and  it requests that future local and global climate efforts center on human rights. The push for this resolution started with a campaign initiated by university students in Fiji in 2021, and has now been co-sponsored by over 130 member states. Although it is not mandatory for states to adhere to ICJ opinions, they carry significant legal and moral weight that supporters hope will cause states to focus on the climate crisis. Specifically, the youth who began this initiative request that countries consider their obligations to the Small Island and Developing states which are particularly vulnerable to the climate crisis and impacted by initiatives in the developed world. The adoption of this resolution is an important step in defining the future of global climate action, and an emotional and triumphant moment for the Pacific youth who spearheaded these efforts.

19 01, 2023

Fossil Fuel Giants ‘Throw People Under The Bus For Their Gain’ Greta Thunberg Says At Davos

2023-07-30T13:23:10-04:00Tags: |

Greta Thunberg, Vanessa Nakate, Helena Gualinga, and Luisa Neubauer are among many climate activists who protested the expansion of fossil fuel initiatives at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. These women came from around the world (Sweden, Uganda, Ecuador, and Germany, respectively) to demand that the global energy industry stop investing in oil and gas and turn to clean energy. This built off of a cease and desist campaign that they pioneered, gaining 897,000+ signatures, to push for transparency and accountability from CEOs involved in fossil fuel investments. Just before her appearance at the WEF, Thunberg was detained while protesting the expansion of a coal mine in Germany. Other activists met her in Davos, protesting the emissions from the attendees using private jets and expanding the Make Them Pay campaign, calling on rich nations to pay their climate debt and cancel debt in the Global South where people are disproportionately affected by climate change while contributing the least to the crisis. Youth activists have crucial roles in climate movement and sustaining fossil fuel resistance efforts. Photo credit: Arnd Wiegmann/REUTERS

23 12, 2022

How Women Changed The World This Year

2023-07-30T13:13:07-04:00Tags: |

Climate activists, community leaders, human rights advocates―women around the world have pushed for change across arenas and sustain hope for future progress. In Iran, women have led the revolution against the government through the Women, Life, Freedom movement to ensure that everyone has safety, rights, and religious freedom. In Afghanistan, thousands of unnamed women fight Taliban leadership to push for education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Women in Latin America have continued the fight for their rights, with a “green wave” of grassroots movements pushing for abortion rights. In lieu of their efforts, Mexico has decriminalized abortion, Ecuador has decriminalized it up to 24 weeks, and other countries are re-evaluating their laws. In Ukraine, women are working hard to maintain global food security. Nadiia Ivanova and ~10,000 other women farmers are fighting to keep up food production in the midst of the Russian invasion, supplying food and shelter to Ukrainian soldiers, as well as global food markets. Women are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis and intersections across movements. They are demanding seats at the table at global climate forums, pushing for legislation such as the “loss and damage” fund that was approved during COP27. This will support developing countries that are vulnerable to climate change, and center around some of the issues that impact women in the crisis. This is one example of many efforts by women in the climate justice movement. The struggles and contributions of women often go unrecognized, but millions are leading justice movements every day. Photo credit: Justin Tallis/AFP Via Getty Images

11 10, 2022

Young Women Push For Greater Representation In The Climate Debate

2023-04-16T16:44:40-04:00Tags: |

Looking toward the 27th global climate Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Egypt, the gender imbalance persists in undermining women’s representation throughout climate negotiations. Women like Farhana Yamin, an environmental lawyer and climate activist, have spent years paving the way for equal representation; this work is the reason that gender is now part of the COP agenda. While reports show that the percentage of women occupying positions in UN climate bodies and national delegations has increased, it is still widely apparent that urgency is lacking in ensuring that their voices are being equally heard as well. This is why initiatives like She Changes Climate are being formed and gaining momentum as 500 leaders worldwide signed a letter calling for a 50-50 split of men and women in the COP27 leadership team. The campaign has long-term ambitions to see this become the norm for every climate summit that follows. Following their predecessors' footsteps, young women continue to set the mark in ensuring their voices are heard and accounted for as they expand the range of diversity and representation at these negotiations.

11 10, 2022

Young Women Push For Greater Representation In The Climate Debate

2023-02-20T13:29:47-05:00Tags: |

Over 500 leaders from around the world signed an open letter calling for the equitable representation of men and women at COP27, the 2022 UN Climate Conference in Egypt. This follows the low representation of women at prior climate conferences, with them making up only 37 percent of delegates and only receiving 29 percent of the speaking time. This article follows several of the leaders who supported the petition, including Farhana Yamin, an environmental lawyer who has been involved in international climate negotiations since 1991, and Bianca Pitt, the founder of the She Changes Climate Initiative. The article also highlights the contributions of young women and advocates from the Global South.

5 10, 2022

Women and Gender in Climate Diplomacy

2023-03-29T11:12:27-04:00Tags: |

Women are integral to crafting climate action policies, especially given that they integrate a much-needed gender perspective that leads to greater equity and effectiveness. Their participation in global negotiations has been linked to longer-lasting agreements and more positive diplomatic outcomes. This report from the Center on Global Energy Policy reviews existing literature on feminist foreign policy, women’s participation in environmental decision-making, and how gender factors into climate change vulnerability. However, they remain significantly under-represented in negotiations, making up less than 20 percent of delegation heads for the majority of UN Climate Conferences. At COP26, only 35 percent of attending delegates were women. This report provides policy recommendations to further women’s participation and inclusion by elevating their voices, expanding training programs, and establishing gender-sensitive climate goals.

3 10, 2022

Vandana Shiva on the wisdom of biodiversity

2023-03-29T13:32:22-04:00Tags: |

Vandana Shiva is an activist and author who grew up in the Himalayan forests, where biodiversity was her teacher. Shiva weaves quantum science and the teachings of the forest to demonstrate the deep interconnection between all living beings. Biodiversity is the interconnected web of life through which all things flow. Colonialism and capitalism has sowed division between humans and non-human beings, leading us towards the loss of biodiversity which threatens our planet and existence. Shiva teaches us that by honoring the wisdom of biodiversity, by regenerating and conserving biodiversity, we may cultivate a liveable future in harmony with all other living beings. Photo credit: Ashish Shah/Atmos

9 08, 2022

Meet 3 Indigenous Women Fighting For The Future Of The Amazon

2023-04-16T16:12:25-04:00Tags: |

Kiley Price highlights the work of three Indigenous women -- Evelin Garcia, Katty Guatatoca, and Carmenza Yucuna -- whose work has been supported by the Amazonia Indigenous Women’s Fellowship Program, a program that provides funding and resources to Indigenous women for conservation projects in their respective regions/countries. Garcia, a member of the Monkox Indigenous community located in the Chiquitania region of eastern Bolivia, noted the importance of recovering ancestral knowledge and practices of endemic plants to the feeding and healing of her community during the pandemic. In particular, kutuki is an important herb which has traditionally been used to treat illnesses ranging from colds and fevers to respiratory issues; this became an important resource for COVID-19 symptom alleviation. With the help of the fellowship, Garcia, along with other women in her community, created a curriculum for schools and community centers in the area to pass on medicinal plant knowledge. Guatatoca, a Kichwa woman from the Amazon forest in central Ecuador, founded the Awana Collective, a group of Indigenous women who use inorganic materials (like plastics) and organic materials to make handmade items. Guatatoca highlights how this work helps Kichwa women obtain financial independence while also caring for the lands which they rely upon by recycling inorganic materials. The items and designs are created using traditional Kichwa culture. Yucuna, a member of the Yucuna community from Mirití-Paraná in southern Colombia, focuses her efforts on preserving the traditional knowledge of the Melipona bee, a stingless bee whose honey has important medicinal properties, both antimicrobial and antifungal. The honey has been traditionally used for centuries for wound and infection treatment. Through the fellowship, Yucuna has completed research on the bees, which is now being used for their conservation and management, along with the ancestral knowledge of her community. Yucuna is also working alongside older women in the community to sell excess honey to help fund conservation efforts. 

9 08, 2022

The Way Back

2023-05-26T15:24:36-04:00Tags: |

Georgina Johnson retraces lineages of connection between the Earth and the human body through sharing personal and historical narratives. Recalling bell hooks’ writing and lessons from her family, Johnson shares that a garden is a symbol of love, as it helps feed families, safeguard dignity, and learn how to appreciate the planet as well as give back to it. This mindset relies on a great respect for nature and the interconnection between its different components, including human beings. Johnson notes the abundant history of agricultural traditions in India to plant vegetation and flowers next to each other in order to protect their food and preserve biodiversity. However, the colonial development and spread of monoculture instigated loss of power of several communities due to its inherent exploitation of nature and native people for capital gain. This form of agriculture relies on the dispossession of wealth, the misuse of mass landscapes, and the degradation of delicate ecosystems. Therefore, Johnson highlights how it is crucial to rediscover and adopt practices that include the voices and stories of native land owners, who have been repeatedly ignored and erased as a result of colonialism and imperial ambition. Photo Credit: N/A

9 08, 2022

‘We Need Green Energy, But There Is An Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Threshold You Can’t Cross’

2023-02-26T12:35:31-05:00Tags: |

Some nations’ governments are increasing efforts to protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights, which will affect many extractive corporations’ abilities to operate as usual. In recent years, corporations have been left mostly unchecked to devastate the land. As Indigenous rights are bolstered at the national level, however, companies and investors will need to strengthen their working relationships with Indigenous Peoples and seek free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) from Indigenous communities if they plan new extractive projects like mining, drilling, and fracking on their lands. Executive Director of Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) Osprey Orielle Lake asserts that institutions need to have a strategy in place for when Indigenous communities say no to proposed projects, both renewable and nonrenewable. She contends that “Indigenous sovereignty and rights are central to a Just Transition,” and “No Go” policies should be implemented to allow Indigenous communities to reject projects and to ensure that their decision is respected by the institutions involved. Indigenous lands and local knowledge must be respected and upheld for Just Transition.

3 08, 2022

Around The World, Women Are Putting Their Lives On The Line To Defend The Climate

2023-04-16T14:53:49-04:00Tags: |

Rachel Cox discusses the dangers that women earth defenders face when they speak up against extractive industries. Since 2015, at least 108 women have been murdered for standing up against environmental destruction in their communities, and countless others have been subject to smear campaigns, harassment, threats, and sexual assault. This gendered violence is an ongoing issue, especially in communities that are near sites of large-scale extractive activity. Cox argues that governments must hold corporations accountable for their actions, and human rights must be prioritized above capital. Photo credit: Global Witness / Thom Pierce

18 07, 2022

Pride Month Is Over. Now What? Lessons From LGBTQIA+ Environmentalists To Keep With Us Throughout The Year.

2023-02-01T22:54:45-05:00Tags: |

This article includes lessons from queer environmentalists to inform advocacy for human rights and environmental justice beyond Pride Month. It provides perspectives on achieving equity and inclusion within the environmental organizing community. Just as a species is stronger when it has more genetic diversity, or an ecosystem is healthier when it is more biodiverse, the environmental movement is more impactful when it celebrates human diversity and promotes inclusion. Intersectional advocacy is crucial, given that the climate crisis is a social justice issue that impacts women and people of color first and foremost.This article illuminates a variety of ways to meaningfully and consistently contribute to climate action and LGBTQ+ rights. Photo Credit: JD Reinbott

17 05, 2022

Pollution responsible for one in six deaths across planet, scientists warn

2023-03-29T12:28:34-04:00Tags: |

Pollution is killing 9 million people a year. Toxic air and contaminated water and soil is an existential threat to human and planetary health. Increased fossil fuel burning, rising population numbers and unplanned urbanization have increased the numbers of deaths from pollution. Death by pollution disproportionately occurs in low and middle income countries. But pollution crosses borders and thus requires an international response. Pollution, the climate crisis and the destruction of wildlife and nature are interconnected and addressing one will benefit the others. Photo credit: Rupak de Chowdhuri/Reuters

14 12, 2021

10 Female Photojournalists With Their Lenses On Social Justice

2023-02-02T16:25:25-05:00Tags: |

Ten global female photojournalists are introduced for their courageous storytelling and social justice advocacy. Featured women include Lynsey Addario documenting global conflicts, Camille Lepage who covered Central Africa prior to being killed while on duty, Heather Agyepong engaging her subjects as participants in Ghana, and Ruth Prieto Arenas documenting the experiences of immigrant women. Homai Vyarawalla is honored as India’s first female photojournalist in the 1930s. In addition, Glenna Gordon is featured for building communities of trust with her work in Africa, and Arati Kumar-Rao for her environmental photography in South Asia. Final featured photojournalists include Lisa Krantz documenting women’s experiences of sexual assault in the military, Stephanie Sinclair portraying issues of child marriage and girls’ rights, and Malin Fezehai capturing stories of displacement from around the world. The influential work of these women documenting experiences on the margins of society is often met with intense risk. Photo credit: Arati Kumar-Rao

28 11, 2021

To Combat Climate Change, Increase Women’s Participation

2022-05-14T17:02:42-04:00Tags: |

During the United Nations COP23 climate talks in Bonn, Germany, women leaders from around the world worked to make their voices heard by negotiators, as they demanded climate policies that are in line with dire climate realities, and built upon respect for women’s rights and the rights and needs of most-impacted communities.  Women at the conference, iincluding Verona Collante, Patricia Espinosa, Gotelind Alber, Lim Hwei Mian, Osprey Orielle Lake, Tali Layango Arista, and others, discuss the Gender Action Plan adopted at COP23, as well as the broad importance of ensuring equitable and meaningful participation of women at the forefront of all decision-making.  Photo credit: DW

5 11, 2021

Female Equality Is Key to A Sustainable Future

2022-05-14T16:44:54-04:00Tags: |

Since women across Asia and Africa are often responsible for supplying their households with water, food and fuel, the path towards a sustainable world requires, in part, full gender equality. But the effects of climate change, in conjunction with natural disasters, make women’s lives that much harder. For instance, when Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, a result was the increased sexual exploitation of women and girls. After Hurricane Katrina struck the United States, violence against women increased by a factor of four in Mississippi and remained high years later. Women are however continuing to pursue the ideal of a sustainable world. In Kenya, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai initiated a massive tree-planting effort that became known as the Greenbelt Movement. More than 5,000 village women in Andra Pradesh, working with the Deccan Development Society, transitioned to organic farming, greatly reducing the carbon impact of agriculture. It is clear that empowering women is key to tackling climate change. Photo credit: Adam Jones

6 07, 2021

Earning Our Place On The Planet: An Interview with Adrienne Maree Brown

2021-07-06T17:39:42-04:00Tags: |

This transcribed interview, Justin Campbell introduces us to Adrienne Maree Brown, activist and author of Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds (AK Press, 2017), a “radical planet/self-help” handbook for social justice organizers on how to change the world. Throughout the interview, Adrienne eloquently exposes some key themes of emergent strategy, which is anchored in the interconnectedness of the world we live in. In other words, individual/self-care and what we do to improve our relationships with each other both benefit the planet and our relationship with her. Adrienne also touches on the practice of generative conflict (relational), which is in contrast to pro-war mentality (fighting). In collaboration with activist Walidah Imarisha Adrienne also co-edited a science-fiction anthology Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements (AK Press, 2015), a collection of “Visionary Fiction” written by and for social justice organisers grounded on the principle that ‘all organizing is science fiction’. Photo Credit: Gant Studios

6 07, 2021

Women’s Voices Must Not Be Ignored in Business and Human Rights Talks

2021-07-06T17:22:42-04:00Tags: |

The article highlights the strong links between large corporations’ increasing hunger for land and resources in the global south and the violation of women’s rights. In recent years, there has been a surge in land-intensive transnational mining and agri-business projects. Oftentimes, they go hand in hand with forced evictions, loss of livelihoods and environmental degradation. Pre-existing gender discrimination exacerbates the impacts on women, as they are traditionally responsible for the provision of care, food and water and are oftentimes excluded from decision-making processes. Ambitious actions are needed from corporations, states and international bodies such as the UN in order to ensure human rights along global supply chains. Photo credit: Sarah Waiswa/Womankind Worldwide

6 07, 2021

Intersectionality: A Tool for Gender and Economic Justice

2021-07-06T17:19:22-04:00Tags: |

Intersectionality is an analytical tool for studying, understanding and responding to the ways in which gender intersects with other identities and how these intersections contribute to unique experiences of oppression and privilege. It also helps in understanding how different identities impact on access to rights and opportunities and also links the grounds of discrimination (e.g. race, gender, etc.) to the social, economic, political and legal environment that contributes to discrimination. Most importantly, it highlights how globalization and economic change are impacting different people in different ways.

14 06, 2021

Pollen and Heat: A Looming Challenge for Global Agriculture

2023-05-26T15:21:58-04:00Tags: |

Numerous research studies have shown that prolonged climate extremes reduce crop productivity and weaken global food security. More recently, scientists have observed that extreme heat can reduce pollen production and viability and negatively impact fertilization in various crops - such as canola, corn, peanuts and rice. Pollination is essential for the planet and allows plants to reproduce. With climate change, extreme heat events are on the rise. As more areas of the planet are likely to be affected by extreme heat more often and for longer periods of time, researchers are trying to identify new ways and methods to help the pollen beat the heat. They are investigating genes that could lead to more heat-tolerant varieties and breeding cultivars that can survive winter and flower before heat strikes. They are also examining pollen’s specific limits and harvesting pollen at large scales to spray directly onto crops when weather improves. The main objective is to identify genes that are not only more resilient to high temperatures but also able to withstand cold. In fact, an early autumn-sown could allow these crops to pollinate successfully before a heat wave. Innovative technologies, investments in scientific research and political will are therefore crucial to avoid worsening the fragility of our food systems. 

13 04, 2021

These Kids Are “On Fire” For The Earth!

2021-04-13T17:55:21-04:00Tags: |

Chrysula Winegar from the UN Foundation introduces the film series, Young Voices for the Planet produced by Lynne Cherry. Cherry lives in Frederick County, Maryland, and is the director of the non-profit Young Voices for the Planet. Her organization’s mission is to empower youth and children to inspire each other to take climate action as change agents in their communities. The broad stories showcased in documentaries by Young Voices for the Planet include the story of three nine-year-old girls in Massachusetts who changed an outdated law in their town forbidding solar panels on public buildings and the story of a young girl from Siberia who collected water samples as part of a scientist’s research showing the impacts of climate change in the Arctic. The documentaries are part of a curriculum available to teachers who want to inspire young people to take their own creative climate actions. Photo Credit: Global Moms Challenge

9 04, 2021

4 Activists Explain Why Migrant Justice Is Climate Justice

2021-04-09T13:30:03-04:00Tags: |

With a surge in international migration in response to the climate crisis, it is imperative to recognize the intersection of Earth and migrant justice. Explore the links with young female activists Maya Menezes, Nayeli Jimenez, Niria Alicia, and Thanu Yakupitiyage. From COP25, to saving seeds, to taking on border imperialism, these activists are moving forward with solutions by acknowledging the relationship of climate and migration. Photo Credit: Getty Images

3 03, 2021

Making Women’s Voices Count – Addressing Gender Issues In Disaster Risk Management In East Asia And The Pacific

2021-03-03T19:51:19-05:00Tags: |

This guidance note, aimed at world bank staff, clients and development partners active in gender and disaster risk management, provides an overview of the links between gender and disaster risk management. Natural disasters in the East Asia and the Pacific (EAP) region reveal gender inequalities in higher mortality rates for women rather than men. Gender-blind policies and responses perpetuate and increase inequalities for the female population and other vulnerable groups. Therefore, the guidance offers gender-sensitive strategies, recommendations and resources for the design and implementation of gender perspectives across a spectrum of disaster risk management policies, including plans and decision-making processes, recovery strategies, education and training. The gender-sensitive strategy is three-fold: use appropriate gender terminology; ensure equal gender representation in planning and consultation processes; train gender champions and female leaders to mainstream gender-equal institutional initiatives.

3 01, 2021

The oil and gas industry is inherently misogynistic

2023-03-29T12:52:03-04:00Tags: |

There is a strong connection between the exploitation of the earth and the exploitation of women. Research, commission reports, and the advocacy of Indigenous women have shown that the practice of fossil fuel extraction is a violent practice. Women are disproportionately affected by climate change and burdened with mitigating and adapting to its impacts. In addition, they are faced with physical threats as a result of fossil fuel extraction and its man camps. Petro-masculinity is a concept exploring the link between fossil fuel production, male identity, and the risk posed for post-carbon energy policies. Since men, white men especially, benefit from fossil fuel production, women and their resistance is viewed as feminine work. Dismantling patriarchal structures is a fight for both the earth and for women. Photo credit: Sascha Steinbach/Greenpeace 

15 12, 2020

Mothers Of Invention Podcast. Episode 3: Taking Over

2020-12-15T22:02:57-05:00Tags: |

In this episode of Mothers of Invention Podcast, Mary and Maeve turn up the volume on the women who are helping us consciously-uncouple from our toxic relationship with single-use plastic. The week’s Mothers of Invention are: 1) Judi Wakhungu and Alice Kaudia, Kenyan politicians who unleashed up to $38,000 USD fines for anyone found using, making or distributing plastic bags, 2) Chelsea Briganti, an American self-taught materials engineer and entrepreneur about to unleash 55bn edible straws onto the world. 3) Rachelle Strauss, British founder of #ZeroWasteWeek - a global online campaign against household waste born from one family kitchen, 4) Siân Sutherland, British co-founder of A Plastic Planet and creator of the world’s first fully-functioning plastic-free supermarket aisle in Amsterdam and 5) Katharine Wilkinson, lead writer of ‘the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming’, Project Drawdown. Photo credit: Unknown

20 11, 2020

Portraying Women Leadership in Water Cooperation

2020-11-20T17:59:52-05:00Tags: |

Women For Water has compiled the audio- visuals of eight women who are conserving the water all over the world. These women Nomvula Mokonyane, Svitlana Slesarenok, Ursula Schaefer-Preuss, Rose Makunzo Mwangi, Ethne Davey, Dr. Deepthi Wickramasinghe, Patricia Wouters and Salamatu Garba. They have been bringing the best practices of women empowerment in water and sanitation projects and effective water governance at all levels.

14 11, 2020

Women and urban place-making

2023-05-26T14:52:41-04:00Tags: |

This article summarizes the research of Professor Linda Peake, Director of the City Institute at York University since 2013. Professor Peake’s work focuses on the intersection of urbanization and women, as women make up a disproportionate amount of the urban poor and face the impacts of many social injustices such as employment and housing insecurity. Given this context, Professor Peake’s research aims to understand the relational transformation between poverty and 21st century urbanization. The research also seeks to explore traditional frameworks on ideologies surrounding the formation of urban spaces by looking into the ways in which women experience these environments within conditions of economic insecurity or other social burdens. As well, the research involves urban policymakers for the implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). The research itself is taking place in seven different cities globally: Cairo, Cochabamba, Delhi, Georgetown (Guyana), Ibadan, Ramallah, and Shanghai, for their varying geographic and socioeconomic conditions. Photo Credit: N/A

13 10, 2020

Indigenous Peoples And Local Communities Offer Best Hope For Our Planetary Emergency

2023-02-05T22:46:02-05:00Tags: |

Yoko Watanabe and Nina Kantcheva discuss the Nature for Life Hub, a virtual partnership between UNDP and 40+ organizations, which centers the voices of youth, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and other environmental activists in conversations surrounding climate action and activism. These populations have often been silenced, erased, and ignored from climate-related discussions and decision-making processes, but they each hold important knowledge about environmental protection and conservation that is crucial to keeping ecosystems intact and reversing biodiversity loss. By highlighting organizations run by the world’s youth and other passionate earth defenders, Nature for Life Hub empowers people on the frontlines of the climate movement who fight to establish and protect the rights of nature.

1 10, 2020

‘Dramatic’ Global Rise In Laws Defending Rights Of Nature

2023-02-06T00:21:26-05:00Tags: |

Carey Biron overviews the recent global spike in legislation that has ruled in favor of the rights of nature. Rights of Nature laws – which provide citizens the opportunity to sue on behalf of damaged lands and waters – have become more common over the last decade, and ecosystems and waterways have won protection under the law in at least 14 countries. These cases set an important precedent for other nations that are in the process of establishing their own legal frameworks to accommodate rights of nature principles, especially following the United Nations’ first biodiversity summit, where more than 60 leaders signed a Pledge for Nature. The UN’s goal is to protect 30 percent of the planet’s lands and waters by 2030 by cracking down on major environmental issues like pollution and deforestation.

30 09, 2020

Women entrepreneurs are essential to last-mile distribution of renewable energy technologies

2023-03-29T12:08:18-04:00Tags: |

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Shine Campaign launched a Recovery Fund aimed at uplifting women entrepreneurs and community organizations that are providing renewable energy to remote areas. Through microgrants ranging from $3,000 to $10,000, the campaign is financing projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America aimed at economic recovery through green jobs. Given that women with deep ties to their communities can mobilize lasting change, the fund also centers women’s initiatives surrounding the renewable energy transition and post-pandemic economic recovery. The Shine Campaign also prioritized funding energy projects near clinics in order to power medical equipment essential to COVID-19 response, addressing the intersection between equity, environmental justice, and health. Photo credit: Solar Sisters

29 09, 2020

Women Occupy One-Third of Workforce in the Global Renewable Energy Sector

2023-02-20T13:40:06-05:00Tags: |

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, a third of the 11.5 million people working in the renewable energy sector are women. As one of the fastest growing sectors in the world, renewable energy not only addresses the climate crisis, but it has the potential to drive socio-economic benefits. From providing rural communities with new job opportunities, to increasing the affordability of electricity, renewables such as solar photovoltaic technology and hydropower have spurred economic growth and directly addressed employment and energy gaps. In this article, Mercom Clean Energy Insights presents statistics on this fast-growing sector and argues that energy development policies should continue to pursue equitable employment, include women workers, and uplift marginalized communities. Photo Credit: MERCOM Clean Energy Insights  

29 09, 2020

Women Occupy One-Third of Workforce in the Global Renewable Energy Sector

2023-03-29T12:05:54-04:00Tags: |

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, a third of the 11.5 million people working in the renewable energy sector are women. As one of the fastest growing sectors in the world, renewable energy not only addresses the climate crisis, but it has the potential to drive socio-economic benefits. From providing rural communities with new job opportunities, to increasing the affordability of electricity, renewables such as solar photovoltaic technology and hydropower have spurred economic growth and directly addressed employment and energy gaps. In this article, Mercom Clean Energy Insights presents statistics on this fast-growing sector and argues that energy development policies should continue to pursue equitable employment, include women workers, and uplift marginalized communities. Photo Credit: MERCOM Clean Energy Insights

29 09, 2020

Protect Indigenous People’s Rights To Avoid A Sixth Extinction (Commentary)

2023-02-06T00:28:46-05:00Tags: |

In this commentary, Susan Lieberman, David Wilkie, and James Watson from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) contend that the protection of Indigenous Peoples’ rights is crucial to the survival of humanity. The destruction of the Earth’s ecological systems has set the planet on a path toward its sixth mass extinction event: climate change catastrophe. The authors argue that if 30 percent of the world’s intact land and water is equitably protected by 2030, this crisis could potentially be diverted; however, evidence shows that this is only possible if leaders recognize the value and critical importance of Indigenous ecological knowledges and land stewardship to the survival of animals, plants, lands, waters— and, ultimately, humanity. Indigenous rights and traditional stewardship must be respected, honored, and protected by people, corporations, and governments across the globe. Photo credit: David Wilkie/WCS

24 08, 2020

Women Are More At Risk Due To The Pandemic And Climate Crisis. These Feminists Are Working To Change That.

2020-09-24T19:33:05-04:00Tags: |

Women activists around the world are standing up. To challenge the ways in which the global pandemic and climate change exacerbate inequalities, five young women share their stories about the intersections of environmental and social justice. Journey with Betty Barkha (Fiji), Meera Ghani (Pakistan), Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim (Chad), Maggie H. Mapondera (Zimbabwe), and Majandra Rodriguez Acha (Peru) to learn about their work and the ways that they are engaging in their local communities.

7 08, 2020

Strengthening Indigenous Rights And Leadership In The Face Of Global Challenges – COVID-19, Climate Change And Environmental Degradation

2020-09-18T18:00:21-04:00Tags: |

A global representation of indigenous peoples organizations along with the International Union for Conservation of Nature are working to address climate change through increased partnership and shared leadership. Ahead of the World Conservation Congress in January of 2021 the IUCN is making the decision to increase indigenous leadership positions and define key proposals around indigenous roles, rights and relationship to the environment. The IUCN is also calling for support from member states in indigenous stewardship of their lands, territories and seas especially by indigenous women. A new document produced through this collaboration aims to draw attention to solutions and challenges faced by indigenous peoples around Covid-19. Through increased sharing of proposals and techniques there is growing hope for indigenous resilience and the protection of their way of life under increasing threat from the pandemic along with the long-term challenges of climate change and environmental degradation. Photo credit: Asociacion Ak’Tenamit

4 07, 2020

Climate Justice In The Time Of COVID-19: 5 Lessons From Women And Girls Leading The Fight

2020-09-08T22:13:16-04:00Tags: |

During the World Skull Forum, an intergenerational and intercultural panel of women climate activists hosted a webinar on the lessons we can learn during the COVID-19 crisis in order to pave the way for a green recovery and a just transition. Notwithstanding its drastic negative impacts, the current pandemic has also proven the capability of the global community for changing behaviour quickly and profoundly in the face of a serious crisis. Therefore, the panelists urged for the climate crisis to be taken just as seriously, underlining the importance of science and traditional knowledge, human behaviour and collaboration. Photo Credit: Skoll Foundation & Rockefeller Foundation

14 05, 2020

Our Recovery From The Coronavirus Crisis Must Have Gender Empowerment At Its Heart

2020-09-02T20:27:44-04:00Tags: |

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, women and girls are the ones suffering the most from the health crises’ socio-economic impacts, while their burden of unpaid care and domestic work has increased. In the manufacturing sector, one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 outbreak, women are overrepresented in the sector’s most vulnerable branches. As governments seek to re-open economic activities, policymakers have a unique opportunity to introduce bold measures for more resilient, inclusive and sustainable economies, harnessing women’s potential as agents of change. Photo credit: REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain

21 04, 2020

Advice From Activists: How COVID-19 Is Changing Climate Activism For Young Women

2020-09-24T19:24:02-04:00Tags: |

Young women and girls from the frontlines of climate change are taking climate action into their own hands amidst a global pandemic. Eight-year-old Licypriya Devi Kangujam, from New Delhi, India, founded The Child Movement and stands for climate action and legislative environmental protection in India. Alexandria Villaseñor and Leah Namugerwa are leaders with Fridays for Future, where they participate in the global School Strike 4 Climate. While sheltering at home, Villaseñor encourages that we should be consuming less and promoting a sharing economy. These young women and girl activists suggest how we can all be part of the climate movement and understand its links to the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo credit: Alexandria Villaseñor

14 04, 2020

Female-led, Island-based Solutions To Climate Change

2020-12-02T21:46:27-05:00Tags: |

Women in different Small Island Development States are taking action to prevent and tackle the impacts of climate change and the resultant vulnerability to natural disasters on their coast. Since most of them depend on the incomes from agriculture and fishery, they are leading community-based initiatives associated primarily with securing water supply and coastline protection, as well as environmental education and social support. Photo credit: Manuth Buth/UNDP Cambodia

23 03, 2020

Coronavirus Holds Key Lessons On How To Fight Climate Change

2020-09-08T21:31:05-04:00Tags: |

Similar to the COVID-19 outbreak, the climate change crisis could have also been avoided, but will now require urgent action.  This provides leaders with the unique opportunity to acknowledge the importance of steep learning curves and swift action when combating climate change. According to climate experts, the coronavirus pandemic has provided a slight dip in greenhouse gas emissions, but aside from the decline of work commutes, business travel, and international trade, many of these effects are temporary.  The pandemic and climate change must be solved together: stimulus measures for COVID-19 economic strains should invest in climate change solutions, and governments need to encourage societal behavior shifts through political measures that support their residents. Photo credit: Salvatore Laporta / Kontrolab / Lightrocket via Getty Images

18 03, 2020

‘Tip of the iceberg’: is our destruction of nature responsible for Covid-19?

2020-03-22T21:14:12-04:00Tags: |

Research suggests that humanity’s destruction of biodiversity creates the conditions for new viruses and diseases such as Covid-19, or the coronavirus, the viral disease that emerged in China in December 2019, to arise. According to disease ecologists viruses and other pathogens are also likely to be transmitted from animals to humans in the many informal meat markets that have sprung up in urban populations around the world. This article focuses on the increasingly visible connections between the wellbeing of humans, other living things and entire ecosystems. Additionally, it also argues that zoonotic diseases and viral infections are linked to environmental change caused by human behavior. Photo Credit: National Institutes of Health/AFP via Getty Images

17 03, 2020

Air pollution likely to increase coronavirus death rate, warn experts

2020-03-22T21:29:12-04:00Tags: |

COVID-19, or the coronavirus, is known to affect the respiratory tract of those infected. But there is new evidence that indicates patients exposed to polluted air are at a higher risk of dying. Additionally, patients with chronic respiratory issues after being exposed to long-term air pollution are less able t fight off the disease. Science tells us that epidemics like this will occur with increasing frequency. So reducing air pollution is basic investment for a healthier future. Photo credit: Jack Taylor/Getty Images

13 03, 2020

The Only Treatment for Coronavirus Is Solidarity

2020-03-22T21:52:47-04:00Tags: |

The pandemic, COVID-19, reveals a class system, where only the wealthy have the power to withdraw or shelter in place. Whereas, someone who lives paycheck to paycheck must continue to hustle every day to find work. This places poor people in a position between risking their health and economic survival. There is no choice but to make that choice. As long as this is true, the number of carriers will continue to grow. The only option is solidarity. Every country needs every other country to have an economy focused on health and social well-being. The coronavirus makes the slogan of solidarity literal: an injury to one is an injury to all. Photo Credit: Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Getty

10 03, 2020

Coronavirus delays global efforts for climate and biodiversity action

2020-03-22T22:14:45-04:00Tags: |

Measures to contain Covid19, or the coronavirus, have ramped up globally. Travel restrictions and social distancing are forcing meetings to be postponed later into the year. This includes two critical UN summits seeking to limit climate change and to halt extinctions of plants and wildlife. These delays are increasing the pressure on this years Climate Negotiations, COP26 in Glasgow, UK. Photo Credit: Chad Davis/ Flickr

1 07, 2019

Decolonising The Economy

2023-02-26T12:39:17-05:00Tags: |

As an introduction to Open Democracy’’s new series, “Decolonising the Economy,” Laura Basu explains the problematic inner-workings of the global economy and highlights the changes that must be made to create more equitable, livable, sustainable futures. Basu argues the global economy is an imperialistic, rigged system in which the global north’s wealth and prosperity are dependent on the underdevelopment of the global south. She explains that transnational corporations and the State actors who support them have the most to gain from this system. Because transnational corporations are often based in the global north (mainly in the United States and the United Kingdom), those nations’ economies will benefit from corporations’ financial success. However, those same corporations likely base their manufacturing centers in the Global South, where they can employ workers for very low wages -- wages that negatively impact workers’ quality of life and their nations’ economies. 

8 03, 2019

Women, Indigeneity And Earth Protection

2023-04-16T15:26:05-04:00Tags: |

Women are fighting to make their resistant efforts against extractive industries more visible to demonstrate an alternative way of living that is desperately needed. Lynda Sullivan highlights the stories of women who are leading resistant efforts in their local communities to protect Mother Earth against extractive industries. In sharing these women’s stories, Sullivan illustrates the connection between violence against women and Mother Earth, where there is a clear intersection between suppressing feminine power and objectifying the sacred and creative core of the feminine. Through her writing, Sullivan fights against these extractive industries through the power of storytelling.

3 03, 2019

For Women In Solar Energy, Progress And A Ways To Go

2020-10-07T00:39:34-04:00Tags: |

When Kristen Nicole, founder of Women in Solar Energy, penned an open letter calling out the hyper-masculine and ‘booth babe’ culture that portrayed women as sex objects, it sparked a revolution within the industry to start examining their women-specific policies and initiatives. The solar conference culture perpetuates objectification with abhorrent displays such as women in cages dressed in leather cat outfits. However, numerous programs aimed at addressing gender diversity and increasing women’s participation in the field have grown in response. SEIA’s Women Empowerment Initiative as well as Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy campaigns have contributed to the shift in the awareness around the need for diversity. Whilst more female workers make up the solar industry today, and there are more women speakers at conferences, there are still shortcomings in that women continue to earn less than men and face barriers in climbing up the career ladder. Women of colour are also disproportionately affected, and Erica Mackie, co-founder and CEO of GRID Alternatives, calls for the solar industry to not just be energy-centred but also justice-focussed, and to recognise the intersection between race and gender inequities. GRID’s Women in Solar Program aids women from diverse backgrounds and their She Shines retreat is aimed as a training and team-building exercise for women in the industry. Photo credit: Stefano Paltera, US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

28 02, 2019

Osprey Orielle Lake: Women Rising For The Earth

2020-04-24T16:36:50-04:00Tags: |

In this article, Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) executive director Osprey Orielle Lake reflects on the broad and interwoven relationship between women and climate change. Citing activists such as Phyllis Young and Dr. Vandana Shiva, Lake connects the experience of each activist to global climate justice trends and movements. Lake also discusses the climate crisis as it is linked to systems of oppression and patterns of abuse against women and nature. While they are among the most vulnerable populations affected by climate chaos, women also offer the most hope for the future. Photo Credit: Emily Arasim/WECAN

30 01, 2019

How To Break Down Discrimination Barriers For Women In Agriculture

2019-04-13T16:19:28-04:00Tags: |

New research is finding that gender discrimination across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and Americas, is being felt by at least half of the women farmers in agriculture. The survey involved 4000 women working in seventeen high-, medium-, and low-income countries in a range of roles and types of farming businesses. It aimed to understand the experience of women farmers today, their lives and their concerns, in order to establish a foundation from which to evaluate future growth. In order to break down the discrimination obstacles for women in agriculture, the results of the survey pointed to training female farmers to use new technologies, dismantling financial obstacles, improving academic education (in contrary to narrowly focussed training), and raising public awareness of the key role women play in agriculture, specifically as key actors in their communities and families in providing food and nutrition. Photo credit: Corteva Agriscience

20 11, 2018

The White Man Stole The Weather

2020-11-20T17:21:30-05:00Tags: |

In this Mothers of Invention podcast, former Irish president Mary Robinson and New-York-based Irish-born comedian Maeve Higgins focus on money and climate change. This episode specifically addresses climate change as a human rights, justice and climate issue; and highlights the importance of divesting from the carbon economy to invest into renewable energy, the green economy and jobs of the future. Divestment, from fossil fuel, pipelines, oppressive systems etc. is powerful and effective as ‘it speaks to people’s pockets’. The podcast features female activists’ experiences and campaigns from South Africa and the US. Yvette Abrahams is a former apartheid activist and Commission for Gender Equality. May Boeve is an an American environmental activist, organiser and Executive Director of 350.org, a global grassroots climate movement. Tara Houska is a Couchiching First Nation citizen; a tribal rights US attorney, environmental and indigenous rights advocate, and the National Campaigns Director of Honor the Earth. Photo Credit: Unknown

1 11, 2018

These Climate Change Emojis Are Peak 2018

2020-09-03T00:06:03-04:00Tags: |

Marina Zurkow, an environmental artist and professor at New York University designed emoji’s that reflect the current and upcoming state of climate change. These “climoji’s” are made to shift people’s consciousness and normalize talking about climate change. These sticker sets are available for apple and android users. Climoji demonstrates how popular culture can connect audiences to difficult issues wordlessly, emotionally and with humor.  Photo Credit: Climoj

15 10, 2018

Women Authors Missing In IPCC Report

2020-10-13T20:32:35-04:00Tags: |

A new assessment report released last week (8 October) by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlighted the importance of raising the capacity of least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS) in climate management and the special role of women as a group vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. According to a February 2018 study published in the PNAS, the proportion of female IPCC authors increased from less than five per cent in 1990, when the first report was published, to slightly more than 20 per cent in the more recent assessment reports. For instance, 75% perceived weak command of the English language as a barrier to participation, while 30% saw race as an obstacle. Chandni Singh, a climate change researcher from India and a lead author for the IPCC’s, has seen women face barriers to their participation, including overt discrimination and insufficient childcare facilities at meetings. Acknowledging the barriers women face, the scientific body decided in March to establish a gender task group, now being co-chaired by Patricia Nying'uro from Kenya and Markku Rummukainen from Sweden. Joy Pereira, a professor at the Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention Research Initiative of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (SEADPRI-UKM) and a vice-chair of the IPCC’s Working Group 2, tells SciDev.Net that the scientific body should ask their hosts to ensure greater participation of women. Photo Credit: Chris Stowers/Panos

12 10, 2018

Across Mozambique and Tanzania, Women Show Us How To Improve Communities And Protect Our Planet

2018-10-12T17:11:52-04:00Tags: |

Women across Mozambique and Tanzania are organizing their communities to improve  local livelihood through sustainability and the protection of natural resources. This inspirational blog by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) explores  the stories of various community leaders building long lasting projects. Like the story of Alima Chereira, who formed an agricultural association that teaches women climate-resilient farming practices. Or entrepreneur Fatima Apacur,  who helped her community form a savings association that uses the ancient practice of group savings and pooling wealth to help community members invest in the future. Photo Credit: WWF/ James Morgan

2 10, 2018

Women Rising For The Earth

2023-02-02T15:44:37-05:00Tags: |

Across the world, women are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis. They comprise 80 percent of global climate refugees, face sexual violence from fossil fuel and mining workers, and are often attacked for speaking out about environmental injustice. At the same time, women bring critical contributions and perspectives to our societies. They are more likely to lead on climate and social policy, shape environmentally-conscious industries, and dictate sustainable consumer preferences. Marginalized women are at the helm of the climate movement, particularly Indigenous land defenders and Black women impacted by environmental racism, natural disasters, and fossil fuel expansion. This article explores the interconnectedness of gender, race, and climate, making the case for intersectional action to dismantle patriarchy, white supremacy, and capitalism. It also emphasizes the importance of women’s spiritual and emotional intelligence when dealing with global crises. Photo credit: Emily Arasim/Women's Earth and Climate Action Network

18 09, 2018

Ecofeminism: Fueling the Journey to Energy Democracy

2023-02-02T16:15:39-05:00Tags: |

In 2018, hundreds of women gathered for a strike in Bilbao, Spain to advocate for an ecofeminist energy transition: one that has both the planet’s survival and women’s rights in mind. Their calls to action highlighted the sexism, classism, and racism behind profit-driven energy industries. Worldwide, women are more at risk of experiencing energy poverty, yet they also take on a disproportionate amount of unpaid household responsibilities that rely on electricity and heating. At the same time, most energy corporations and policymaking organizations have men at the helm. This gendered division of labor means that the use of electricity often perpetuates both capitalism and the patriarchy. This article examines inequalities in energy policy, analyzes gendered usage of electricity, and proposes a new energy model that centers the needs and labor of women so we can achieve a just transition to renewables. Photo Credit: Adolfo Lujan

15 08, 2018

Five Reasons To Fund Women And The Environment

2023-03-19T08:22:24-04:00Tags: |

Women play a critical role in protecting natural resources worldwide. Global Greengrants Fund supports over 300 creative local projects each year led by women to protect the planet in communities around the world. Recent projects include women in Uganda constructing water filters to Indigenous women in Vanuatu becoming monitors of climate impacts on their native lands and women in South Sudan teaching other women how to use solar cookstoves. Despite the personal dangers many of these women face, women leaders like Berta Cáceres continue to stand up for the planet and to fight for future generations. Global Greengrants works to fill gaps in funding for women-led projects as part of their greater global network of activists, donors, and changemakers. Photo credit: Global Greengrants Fund    

2 08, 2018

Plastic Pollution: How One Woman Found A New Source Of Warming Gases Hidden In Waste

2020-10-10T20:04:25-04:00Tags: |

Researcher Sarah-Jeanne Royer was supposed to measure methane gas coming from biological activity in sea water, but she found by accident that the plastic bottles holding the samples were a bigger source of the warming molecule. The gases produced and accelerated by solar radiation are methane and ethylene, which both contribute to the greenhouse effect. These findings are important because until the discovery, the link between plastics and climate change was mainly focused on the use of fossil fuels in the manufacture of plastic items, while this is the first time that anyone has tried to quantify other warming gases emerging from plastic waste. The discovery hasn’t been received well by the plastic industry, while other scientists agree that further research is urgently needed. Photo credit: IPRC

24 07, 2018

Mary Robinson Launches New Feminist Fight Against Climate Change

2020-11-20T17:18:39-05:00Tags: |

This Guardian article highlights former Irish president Mary Robinson’s effort to create a global movement called Mothers of Invention that promotes a ‘feminist solution for climate change, which is a manmade problem’.  Former UN commissioner for human rights and member of the Elders group, Mary understands how global warming adversely affects women and has focused on climate justice for over 15 years with the Mary Robinson Foundation Climate Justice. The Mothers of Invention initiative presents positive stories of both local and global grassroots climate activists, through a podcast series featuring women scientists, politicians, farmers and indigenous community leaders from Europe, the Americas, Africa and beyond. Reaching women around the world, the podcast is co-presented by Irish-born and New-York based comedian Maeve Higgins. Together, they broach such topics as colonialism, racism, poverty, migration and social justice, all bound up to feminism, through a light-hearted and optimistic approach intended to be fun. Photo Credit: Ruth Medjber

13 07, 2018

“We Are Not Small Islands. We Are A Vast Oceanscape.”

2018-07-13T16:49:35-04:00Tags: |

In this interview, Maureen Penjueli of the Pacific Network on Globalization (PANG), shares the group’s efforts to protect the land and ocean sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples in the Pacific region. Free trade deals and foreign investments that open channels for seabed mining and extractive industries threaten customary land tenure systems and disregard Indigenous ways of knowing. PANG helps Pacific people achieve economic self-determination by educating them about policy levers such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples or Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) to fight exploitation and put pressure on government leaders. Photo credit: Rucha Chitnis

10 07, 2018

Women Are Key To Fixing The Global Food System

2020-10-10T20:24:48-04:00Tags: |

Danielle Nierenberg, President of Food Tank, and Emily Payne, a food and agriculture writer, call for critically examining the traditional power structures in the food system and advocate the key role women play in creating a more sustainable, equitable, and economically viable agricultural scene. Given that female farmers make up almost half of the agricultural labour force worldwide, and in some countries up to 80%, they are responsible for important tasks such as seed saving and crop tending. If they were ensured equal access to resources that men have, they could help increase yields by up to 30% and thus, they are a fundamental part of ensuring global food security. Success stories linked to women’s efforts in agriculture involve workshops on climate-adaptive irrigation strategies in Jamaica to Women in Agricultural program in Nigeria that connects female farmers to vital services. Photo credit: Naimul Haq and Inter Press Service. 

27 06, 2018

Kill Patriarchy, Save the Womb

2023-02-01T22:57:37-05:00Tags: |

The modern menstrual product industry is harmful for the human body and for the land. Most menstrual products are single-use, coming in plastic packaging that is among the most common items found in landfills. Tampons are made from synthetic fibers that are directly linked to toxic shock syndrome, while pads are often bleached white with dioxins – carcinogenic chemicals linked to endometriosis and decreased fertility. In addition, menstrual product companies often use body shaming as a marketing tool, creating a taboo around openly discussing menstruation, and perpetuating the myth that menstrual products are the only way people can maintain their “hygiene” while on their period. This article proposes sustainable menstrual products that keep planetary and personal health in mind, such as reusable tampons, menstrual cups, and cloth pads. It also proposes Indigenous options including sea sponges, cliff rose, cattail, and moss. These alternatives avoid the harmful effects of toxins in mainstream products, prevent further plastic pollution, offer less expensive options for menstruators, and create better relationships with our bodies and the Earth. Photo Credit: Orlando Begaye  

27 06, 2018

Women And The Feminine Hygiene Myth

2020-10-10T19:32:57-04:00Tags: |

The feminine hygiene industry markets products that are manufactured with dangerous chemicals and which perpetuate harmful myths around period bleeding. Much of the marketing languages capitalizes on the notion that bleeding is shameful and should be hidden or kept from public discourse. Further, women and girls are often encouraged to use mainstream products such as bleached tampons and pads that threaten their health. This article encourages women to explore reusable, and non manufactured alternatives to managing their periods. Photo Credit: Orlando Begaye AKA Treeman

26 06, 2018

How To Walk In A Beautiful Way In An Age Of Climate Change

2023-03-19T07:54:29-04:00Tags: |

Camille Seaman is a photographer who has traveled all over the world with her daughter, Tala Powis Parker, to photograph the changing climate in the Arctic and the Antarctic. After over a decade of chronicling the melting polar ice caps followed by a five-year hiatus, she returned on a trip sponsored by a Norwegian ferry line to further educate the public on the harsh realities of climate change. In this interview, Seaman and her daughter share their mixed emotions of awe, fear, grief, and hope as they demonstrate the power of intergenerational support and learning that is key to long-lasting climate solutions. Photo credit: Camille Seaman/Sierra Club

9 06, 2018

Our Plastic Pollution Crisis Is Too Big For Recycling To Fix

2020-10-02T21:29:34-04:00Tags: |

“Recycling alone will never stem the flow of plastics into our ocean. We must address the problem at the source” says Annie Leonard, creator of the Story of Stuff, which sheds a light on the ways we produce, use and dispose of the stuff in our lives. We’ve been told that the problem of plastic packaging can be solved through better individual action, but recycling alone is not enough. We need corporations to show accountability for what they have created, because they are well positioned with their profits and innovation labs to help move us beyond single-use plastics - says the author. Photo credit: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Image

30 05, 2018

Executed, Disappeared, Tortured: The Risks Of Defending Human Rights

2021-02-16T20:36:14-05:00Tags: |

In this 20-minute Guardian podcast, journalist Lucy Lamble talks to Fund for Global Human Rights program officer Ana Paula Hernández about her work supporting campaigners fighting to protect native lands. The conversation covers the brutal murder of Honduran activist Berta Cáceres, an ‘incredible leader in the social and human rights movement’. Fund for Global Human Rights supported Berta since 2013 when she had been criminalised and threatened to stop her organising work for the defence of nature. Despite her international recognition and the protection afforded by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Berta was shot for opposing the dam construction on the Gualcarque River. Since, her daughter Berta Isabel Bertha Isabel Zúniga Cáceres and co-founder of COPINH have claimed small victories with the withdrawal of European funders suspending development on the dam project. Ana Paula also mentions digital security and technology as allies in the protection of human rights defenders. Photo Credit: The Fund for Global Human Rights

25 05, 2018

Women and Gender Constituency Joint Statement on 2018 Climate Negotiations

2023-03-29T12:02:18-04:00Tags: |

During the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, the members of the Women and Gender Constituency (WGC) met to address climate change. Through the course of their work, they called for the operationalization of eight human rights principles, such as rights of indigenous peoples, that would be then incorporated into the Paris Agreement. There was also work done on translating the Gender Action Plan into different national contexts as well as creating strategies to ensure equal gender participation in national delegations. WGC also expressed disappointment in the proposed solution to address losses related to climate change. The solution advanced was insurance but WGC considers that inadequate and inappropriate for the many poor communities affected. Lastly, WGC spoke out against tackling climate change without being specific for the sake of making certain parties comfortable. Transparency and accountability will always be more important than inclusivity.

23 05, 2018

Our Laws Make Slaves Of Nature. It’s Not Just Humans Who Need Rights

2023-02-06T00:07:25-05:00Tags: |

Mari Margil discusses the necessary steps that some nations are taking to create and implement legal frameworks to enforce Rights of Nature principles. Ongoing environmental destruction continues to have catastrophic consequences worldwide, and Margil explains that conditions will not begin to improve unless nature is recognized as having a legal right to protection. Because the law currently draws a line between persons (who have rights) and property (which cannot have rights), the Rights of Nature movement has hit some major roadblocks in trying to create effective frameworks within existing legal structures. Margil argues that these legal structures – as they are currently written and understood — were not built to include nature as a rights-bearing entity. She proposes “legal naturehood” as a more useful category in cases where legal personhood is limited or does not apply. This new category would allow Rights of Nature principles to be legally enforced, granting nature its basic rights and needs and limiting further environmental destruction by holding major polluters responsible for the devastation they cause. Illustration by Sébastien Thibault

23 04, 2018

Goldman Environmental Prize: Top Awards Dominated By Women For First Time

2018-10-12T15:25:48-04:00Tags: |

Francia Márquez is among the female  earth defenders recognized by the Goldman Environmental Prize for their longstanding role in standing up to social and environmental injustices despite constant threats to their lives from powerful vested interests. A lifetime Afro-Colombian activist, law student, and single mother of two, Márquez led 80 women on a long, 10-day march that pressured the Colombian government to remove illegal miners polluting local rivers. In addition to Márquez, the female recipients were Makoma Lekalakala and Liz McDaid from South Africa, Nguy Thi Khanh from Vietnam, LeeAnne Walters from the United States, and Claire Nouvian from France who have fought to protect vulnerable communities from polluting resources. Photo credit: Goldman Environmental Prize

23 04, 2018

‘Speaking Truth To Power’: Female Activists Dominate Top Environmental Prize

2023-03-19T08:19:08-04:00Tags: |

Six out of seven of the global 2018 Goldman Environmental Prize recipients for grassroots environmental activists were women. One of the recipients was American activist LeeAnne Walters who led a mass citizen testing initiative in Flint, Michigan to prove high levels of lead in the contaminated water in her community. A team of two South African environmental activists, Makoma Lekalakala and Liz McDaid, also received the award for their hard-fought victory against the building of new nuclear reactors. Other award winners included Afro-Colombian activist Francia Márquez who advocated for ending illegal mining on indigenous land, French journalist Claire Nouvian for her campaign against deep-sea bottom trawling in France, and Manny Calonzo who worked to ban the use and sale of lead paint in the Philippines. Photo credit: Goldman Environmental Prize 

13 04, 2018

Taking Our Power Back: Women and Girls Are Key To Food Security During Conflict

2020-12-02T21:58:31-05:00Tags: |

Saiyara Khan writes about the fundamental role that women and girls play in ensuring food security during times of conflict. Often, gender inequalities and societal norms restrict their participation in the management and decision-making processes over key resources such as land or livestock. However, given that they are involved in key processes such as food production and water collection for the household, women’s empowerment is a fundamental determinant in whether communities have access to food. Photo credit: UN Women

10 04, 2018

Empowering Women Could Reduce Climate Change

2023-03-29T11:40:33-04:00Tags: |

The members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) finalized the Gender Action Plan (GAP) during its annual conference in 2017. UNFCCC’s long-standing objective has been to comprehensively address climate change, and the GAP was enacted in order to highlight the role that women play in this battle. Specifically, the GAP acknowledges that while climate change particularly harms women, women are also a very suitable group to confront it. Since local women possess intimate knowledge of their environment and the climate, their input can only lead to more effective climate solutions. Moreover, their input is absolutely necessary at the local level and international level in order for policymakers to remain accountable to the people they impact. Thus, every effort needs to be made to increase female leadership, despite the tendency of governments to prioritize men’s perspectives. Photo credit: Pixabay

3 04, 2018

A More Just Migration: Empowering Women On The Front Lines Of Climate Displacement

2020-09-02T21:07:22-04:00Tags: |

Migration is one way women may be forced to adapt to climate change, but this displacement also puts women at greater risk for violence, a group of women leaders explained at a Wilson Center event. Eleanor Bornstorm, Program Director for the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), noted that because women are often in caretaking roles, they are also expected to volunteer and shield their communities from harm. Yet structural inequalities put women disproportionately at risk to violence during climate displacement. Carrying forward the former statement, Justine Calma, Grist environmental justice reporting fellow, vocalized the violence faced by women and young girls during climate displacement. For example, during the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, young girls were sexually exploited, sold and trafficked for food and other resources. Poor or uneducated women, women of color and migrant women are vulnerable to intersectional forms of discrimination, and their needs are often more urgent. Because of these structural inequalities, empowering women and enhancing their leadership may be the best strategy to address climate change, rather than mitigating its effects. WEDO is assessing factors impacting women during climate displacement, filling in the gaps unaddressed at the national and international level. Photo Credit: Agata Grzybowska.

2 04, 2018

In Service Of Climate Justice

2020-10-02T21:33:39-04:00Tags: |

Dineen O’Rourke was moved to step into leadership in the climate justice movement after experiencing the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy in her community in Long Island, New York City in 2012. She has since become a powerful voice in the movement through her ongoing initiatives promoting community building, policy advocacy, direct actions, and storytelling. In 2017, O’Rourke and fellow climate justice advocate, Karina Gonzalez, co-led a delegation of 15 youth from different parts of the United States to attend the 23rd annual United Nations ‘Conference of the Parties’ climate negotiations. Despite the lack of political will exhibited by the United States during COP23, O’Rourke, Gonzalez, and a crowd of supporters protested false solutions presented by the fossil fuel industry to hold elected officials accountable. Photo credit: Dineen O'Rourke

27 03, 2018

The World Is a Miraculous Mess, And It’s Going To Be All Right

2020-11-07T17:40:11-05:00Tags: |

In this article, Zenobia Jeffries interviewed activist, facilitator and author Adrienne Maree Brown for the 1st anniversary of her book, Emergent Strategy, a concept she describes as “the way complex plans for action and complex systems for being together arise out of simple interactions”. In short, this means transforming oneself to transform the world. Adrienne addresses movements building and how to include racial justice in broader conversations beyond Black Lives Matter such as #neveragain and #metoo. In relation to movements building and organising, she touches on themes such as connectivity, trauma, resilience and the capacity to heal, the difference between punitive, restorative and transformative justice, and pleasure activism. She suggests that pillars issues like climate change, racism and materialism are not going to be resolved overnight, but are transformative conditions that can be addressed through small compelling experiments and narratives becoming large enough to change the shape of society. Photo Credit: Bree Gant

23 03, 2018

Impunity For Violence Against Women Defenders Of Territory, Common Goods, And Nature In Latin America

2020-10-23T23:16:06-04:00Tags: |

This report by Urgent Action Fund of Latin America and the Caribbean (UAF-LAC) analyzes the condition of women who defend environmental rights in Latin American countries. By analyzing the case studies of thirteen women defenders, a clear continuum of structural violence against the women emerges. On the one end, women defenders are subject to the criminalization of their activities and to harassment from various actors such as companies, the police, and the media. At the most extreme end of this violence continuum, women defenders are assassinated or “disappeared.” In cases such as these, the state, if it is not actively colluding with the perpetrators, often remains silent. UAF-LAC, then, calls for the state to protect women defenders by eliminating the impunity perpetrators currently enjoy, by eliminating the criminalization of defenders’ work and by creating a safe environment for them to work in. Specifically, the state must financially, politically, legally and psycho-socially support women defenders. Photo credit: UAF-LAC

8 03, 2018

3 Women On What Climate Justice Means To Them

2020-10-23T23:36:25-04:00Tags: |

Climate change impacts more severely on women and is a significant impetus for female empowerment in the climate justice movement. This piece portrays women whose courage, inspiration and shared vulnerabilities in forms of resistance underscore their activism. By changing the narrative and creating herstory, these stories offer a symbol of strength, such as Joanna Sustento, the warrior of the storm, who is the sole survivor of the storm Haiyan that killed her family. With local female leaders, she heads community mobilisation for climate justice. Desiree Llanos Dee, campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, uses the power of storytelling to humanise climate justice issues and build more conscious communities with more people who care. Hettie Geenen, captain of the Rainbow Warrior Greenpeace ship, gives an international platform to the people and the planet through her tours. These are the women on the frontlines of the local, national and global climate justice movement. Photo Credit: Greenpeace

8 03, 2018

Climate Change ‘Impacts Women More Than Men’

2023-04-16T15:12:42-04:00Tags: |

The impacts of climate change exacerbate existing gender inequality. This article draws examples from the disproportionate burden placed on women during the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia and the 2005 Hurricane Katrina in the U.S., where the number of surviving men outnumbered women.According to the UN, while 80% of women are displaced due to climate change, only 30% of women are represented in the global climate negotiating bodies. In this backdrop, Diana Liverman, an environmental scientist at the University of Arizona and an author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that, being half the world, more women must partake in climate decision making. Photo credit: Getty Images 

8 03, 2018

Climate Change ‘Impacts Women More Than Men’

2020-09-03T02:30:20-04:00Tags: |

This article demonstrates the overarching ways women are more affected by climate change than men. For example, after Hurricane Katrina black women were the most affected by flooding in Louisiana. Women are reliant on interdependent community networks for their everyday survival and resources. Displacement erodes these networks and increases the changes of violence and sexual assault against women. According to UN Data, 80 percent of people displaced due to climate change are women. Despite this women are seldom at the decision making table, says Diana Liverman, an environmental scientist at the University of Arizona. As an author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) she is internally paving the way for women to participate in major decisions. Photo Credit: Getty Images 

7 03, 2018

Resilient And Resolute: Women Human Rights Defenders Claiming Space

2023-04-16T14:29:09-04:00Tags: |

Women human rights defenders around the world are on the frontlines of countless movements for human rights and equality. These women’s fight for their rights and the rights of others are often hindered by laws against peaceful assembly and other freedoms of expression that work to silence those who challenge the status quo. These restrictions, however, have not stopped women from raising their voices as active agents of change. In this article, Pooja Patel, Programme Manager for Women’s Rights and LGBTI Rights at the International Service for Human Rights explains that women in the United Nations have made a series of demands for the women’s rights and gender equality agenda that will make processes and outcomes more equitable. These women, like other women human rights defenders across the globe, aim to create more just systems that support women in their fight for rights and representation. Photo credit: Bai Ali Indaya

27 02, 2018

Climate for women in climate science: Women scientists and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

2023-03-29T11:59:26-04:00Tags: |

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an organization responsible for providing comprehensive reports about the state of climate change. Though diversity in IPCC authorship has been increasing over the years, authors are still most often male, white, and from Global North countries. Thus, many female IPCC authors report often feeling ignored or marginalized, with their gender, age, race, stature, and English fluency acting as strong barriers to their full participation. Childcare concerns and lack of financial support also hinder their participation. As such, they recommend IPCC organizers to consider virtual participation, financial support, gender training, and many other solutions to improve the experience of women. 

26 02, 2018

Women are an ‘unstoppable’ force for climate action

2023-03-29T11:44:42-04:00Tags: |

The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group is a network of 97 cities around the world whose goal is to confront climate change. Since 2017, the C40 group has been holding an annual Women4Climate conference to focus on women empowerment within the climate field. Among the conference participants are female mayors of C40 cities who are committed to a sustainable future. Moreover, these mayors insist that women are on the forefront of finding climate solutions and should be recognized as such. This requires mentoring and supporting young women who are already addressing climate change and removing any barriers they may face in their work. Photo credit: Thomson Reuters Foundation

15 02, 2018

Gender Equality Crucial to Tackling Climate Change – UN

2020-10-23T23:42:17-04:00Tags: |

Women are disproportionately more susceptible to the impacts of climate change due to the hindrances caused by gender inequality that they must also face. The report written by UN Women on “Gender Equality in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, draws attention to the need to place gender equality front and centre throughout the implementation of the SDGs Agenda. The report highlights that, globally, more than one quarter of women work in agriculture. As the impacts of climate change on agriculture are already being severely felt, this is one of the areas that needs urgent action. Women face many restraints in accessing land, agricultural inputs and credit which increase their vulnerability reducing their resilience against climate change. However, women are an important representation of strength for combating climate change, they are not just victims. The report emphasizes that diverse women must be present in decision-making environments to ensure inclusive mitigation and adaptation to climate change at local, national and international levels. The UNFCCC has been increasingly recognizing the importance of equal gender representation in the development of gender responsive climate policies. In fact, the Gender Action Plan (GAP) was adopted at the COP23 to guide this goal.

13 02, 2018

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz: Indigenous Women’s Rights Are Human Rights

2018-07-13T17:25:17-04:00Tags: |

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples discusses the multifaceted human rights abuses experienced by indigenous women. The murder and sexual violence rates committed against indigenous women worldwide are exceedingly higher than those of non-indigenous women; though current statistics are considered to be underestimated. The author also speaks about the work indigenous women are doing to train and organize themselves to be aware of their rights and to empower each other.  Photo Credit: Midia Ninja.

12 02, 2018

Women on the Margins of UN Climate Panel

2023-03-29T11:15:25-04:00Tags: |

Miriam Gay-Antaki, an assistant professor at Colorado College, has been researching the barriers faced by women climate scientists worldwide. This article includes Gay-Antaki’s findings alongside interviews with women in climate science, and it emphasizes the importance of including women’s perspectives in global forums and scientific spaces. On the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), only 20% of members are women. Many report instances of exclusion within the organization, from difficulty participating given a lack of childcare access to experiencing additional discrimination due to intersecting marginalized identities. Women not only face the difficulties of being in a male-dominated field, but also must deal with the unique challenges of climate science in particular: countering misinformation, propaganda, denial, and hostility. Gay-Antaki’s research shows the need to create safer, more inclusive environments where women in science can have their contributions valued. Photo credit: Anne Christianson