With approaches that prioritize community well-being, resource efficiency, and long-term planning; women community, civic, and organizational leaders driving local and global sustainability initiatives vital for both environmental preservation and social equity.
It is often cited that the key to changing the world is investing in women, and study after study has demonstrated that educating girls is ranked as one of the top ten most powerful ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. —Emma Harbour, Director of Global Advocacy, Rainforest Alliance
Men’s spending habits cause 16% more climate-heating emissions than women’s. —Journal of Industrial Ecology, 2021
“We know gender equity is a climate solutions multiplier.” —Jamie Alexander, Founding Director, Drawdown Labs, Project Drawdown + Women in Climate Tech Member
Women legislators vote for environmental protections almost twice as frequently as men. —Christiana Figueres + Tom Rivett-Carnac, The Future We Choose
Companies with women on their executive boards are more likely to invest in renewable energy and develop products that help solve the climate crisis. —Christiana Figueres + Tom Rivett-Carnac, The Future We Choose
Women and girls prepare most of the world’s meals and grow much of its food, and empowering them to receive the same opportunities and boys and men might be what it takes to prevent famine.
Kimberly Clark—the world’s largest producer of tissue products—was compelled to stop cutting down ancient forests by the wrath of female consumers in league with Greenpeace in the “Kleercut” campaign. Sustainable Development Knowledge Partnership. Boston University, 2010.
Nature is a feminist issue because, historically, women have been more impacted by environmental issues than men, and ecofeminism works to create alternatives + solutions, from the status quo decision makers.
Realizing a successful circular economy means addressing inequality.
Ensuring that girls get 12 years of education + women can work and earn an income are some of the smartest investments we can make to change the world. — G7 Foreign Secty., Dominic Raab
With all the (important!) talk about our daily choices + reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we’re all but totally missing a massive force to combat climate change—women.
Higher ratios of women’s NGOs to countries’ populations correlated with lower rates of deforestation. — Worldwatch.org
If women farmers had access to the same resources as male farmers, they could increase their yields by 30%, and thereby feed an additional ~100 million people on the planet. — UN FAO
In eight years of polling, women exhibit more scientifically accurate climate change knowledge than men. — Gallup
Empowering women through improved healthcare, education, and representation in government could help societies adapt more quickly and easily to the impacts of a changing climate.
When women are included in technical and decision-making capacities, there was a marked improvement in the impact of projects.
When womxn aren’t at the table, where decisions are being made, sustainability stalls —or all of us.
A woman’s income can increase up to 380% when she has a right to own + inherit property. — The Environmental Magazine
“You might think that the most significant parts of environmental efforts are recycling or energy reduction, but there’s a far more vital tool at work — women. This half of the population could be the key to effective change for the earth.” The Environmental Magazine
Women are leading the response to the climate crisis.
