Meet 15 Women Leading the Fight Against Climate Change

From sinking islands to drought-ridden savannas, women bear an outsize burden of the global—warming crisis, largely because of gender inequalities. In many parts of the world, women hold traditional roles as the primary caregivers in families and communities, and, as the main providers of food and fuel, are more vulnerable when flooding and drought occur; the U.N. estimates 80% of those who have been displaced by climate change are women.

It's women who are leading the way in the struggle against the climate crisis.

Given their position on the front line of the climate-change battle, women are uniquely situated to be agents of change—to help find ways to mitigate the causes of global warming and to adapt to its impacts on the ground. This reality was recognized by the Paris Agreement, which specifically included the global need to further empower women in climate decision-making. Today, across the world, from boardrooms and policy positions to local communities, from science to activism, women everywhere are using their voices to take leadership and call for action on climate change. 

We’ve chosen 15 such women to highlight, in profiles spread throughout the rest of this issue of TIME. 

Read the story from Time magazine - “Meet 15 Women Leading the Fight Against Climate Change."

The first fleet and Australia’s unforgiving weather

The women screamed as the huge waves crashed loudly on the wooden deck. Horrified, they watched the foaming torrent wash away their blankets. Many dropped to their knees, praying for the violent rocking to stop. The sea raged around them as the wind whipped up into a frenzy, damaging all but one of the heavily loaded ships.

The severe storm was yet another taste of the ferocious weather that slammed the First Fleet as it made its way across the Southern Ocean in December 1787. Now, after an eight-month journey from England in a ship riddled with death and disease, the passengers’ introduction to Australia was also far from idyllic.

The unforgiving weather that greeted the First Fleet was a sign of things to come. More than once, intense storms would threaten the arrival of the ships and bring the new colony close to collapse.

Read the Pursuit story by Dr Joëlle Gergis from the University of Melbourne - "The first fleet and Australia’s unforgiving weather.”

International Women’s Day – Meet the women shaping our future

We’ve all read the stats and we see it every day in the office and on the streets. We want progress, especially in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), to get more women in these roles and leading the charge. And we are making progress. Women are changing the world. We’re lucky enough that some of these incredible women work right here. They’re changing the world every day not because they’re women, but because they’re working on curing diseases, saving the environment, exploring the skies, and developing new technology and industries.

Anna Crewell - PhD candidate, CSIRO Ocean and Atmosphere. 

But before we meet some of these amazing women who are helping shape our future, we also want to acknowledge that to shape Australia’s future in with science, we need to consider the next generation and how we can encourage more young girls to consider STEM as a viable career option for them. Many young girls still think that STEM subjects are for boys and they couldn’t succeed in these careers. This is because you can’t be what you can’t see. We need more role models for the future generation so they too can shape our future and #PressforProgress.

Read the CSIROscope story by Nikki Galovic - “International Women’s Day – Meet the women shaping our future.”

Sustainable agriculture provides a lifeline to Mali’s women

Agriculture is often a key route out of poverty for many in developing countries, especially among women.

Sustainable agriculture a bonus for
women in developing countries. 

And in the West African country of Mali, it is estimated that women make up half of all those involved in agriculture. However, UN Women reports that climate change is threatening to undo the progress made in building stronger rural communities and ending hunger in the country.

The UN entity, formed seven years ago, has been implementing a new programme called AgriFed, designed to combat the negative impacts of climate change on women.

Read the ClimateAction story - “Sustainable agriculture provides a lifeline to Mali’s women.”

In terrible times, there’s an advantage to being female

Women outlive men in normal times, as well as during the worst of circumstances, three centuries of historical records show.

There is an advantage
 in being female.

Most of the life expectancy gap was due to a female survival advantage in infancy rather than adulthood, the researchers found. In times of adversity, such as famines and epidemics, newborn girls are more likely to survive.

The fact that women have an edge in infancy when behavioural differences between the sexes are minimal, supports the idea that the explanation is at least partly biological, the researchers say.

Read the Futurity story by Robin Smith-Duke - “In terrible times, there’s an advantage to being female.”

Women of the world on the front-line of climate change

As our species finds itself staring down the barrel at widespread environmental collapse due to climate change, some of us have more to worry about than others

Women from the Iraqi marsh areas
will be among the
hardest hit by climate change.

.

In particular, the Middle East and surrounding regions have been shown to be particularly vulnerable to climate change effects, especially those having to do with water: Within the last seven years the region has lost enough water to fill the Dead Sea and by 2040, 14 of the 33 most water stressed countries on Earth will be in the Middle East.

Although Middle Eastern countries will be some of the hardest hit by climate change, there is a marginalized community within their borders which will be affected by climate change still more than others: Women.

Read the piece on Motherboard by Daniel Oberhaus - “Climate Change Is Killing Off a 5,000-Year-Old Iraqi Culture.”

Women can be the 'change-makers' in the race against climate change

Women are frequently portrayed as being vulnerable to climate impacts.

As rainfall become less reliable and more
erratic, women face longer walks
to collect the vital resource.

This much is true, especially so in developing countries where they are responsible for running households, collecting water and feeding their families.

But there’s another critical side too. Women are leading actors in enabling change, in educating communities to become more resilient and influencing regional, national and international leaders.

To mark International Women’s Day 2016 we picked out nine views explaining why women are critical to global efforts to address and prepare for a warming world.

Read the Climate Home story - “Why women are key to tackling climate change.”