Women* bear the burden
of climate change.
Data shows that the work women tend to do mostly is generally more dependent on the environment. For example gathering water and farming. Climate disasters, such as extreme weather events, are a very likely threat to their livelihoods.
Research shows:
- After “climate disasters” gender-based violence often increases.
- Women*, trans, and non-binary people face the toughest route to recovery, because they are more likely to already be living in poverty.
- Extractivism and climate change exacerbates existing gender injustices.
- 80% of the people displaced by the climate crisis are women.
- Women* are poorly represented at climate decision making bodies, from local to international level.
Women* are change makers.
Despite the burden of climate change on women and marginalized groups, they are often leaders for change. They organize their communities, raise awareness and progressively search for fair and just solutions.
For example, in Congo DRC Dorothee Lisenga, from CFLEDD, has organised dialogues on women’s inheritance rights between customary chiefs, local and indigenous women. Recommendations resulting from these dialogues have led to the adoption of 2 provincial edicts that guarantee land and forest rights for women. This transforms the country’s patriarchal framework, while strengthening the role and decision-making power of women in DRC’s forest management policies for climate action.
Her work has led to huge successes in women’s access to land and forest rights of women in the provinces of Ecuador and Maindombe of the DRC, and she and her organisation won the “Gender Just Climate Solutions” Awards at the climate conference in 2018. More information on the award is available here.
Time to raise our voices.
We raise our voices to show how the climate crisis is a manifestation of intersecting structures of oppression: capitalism, colonialism, racism and patriarchy. To achieve climate justice we need to dismantle all these systems of domination.
We stand in solidarity with frontline communities and support those that build and preserve ecofeminist economies. That’s why we joined Fossil Free NL (Fossielvrij NL) in their fight against the fossil fuel industry. We want to make the environmental movement more inclusive and aware of the different groups that are hit hardest by the effects of the climate crisis.
Our aims.
- Stop the climate crisis
- Dismantle oppressive systems such as patriarchy, colonialism and white supremacy
- Smash capitalism, extractive industries and the global architecture of corporate impunity
- Stand in solidarity with frontline communities
- Support counternarratives of ecofeminist economies
What do we do?
We take to the streets
We let our voices be heard for the urgent need for more inclusive climate action, for feminist solutions to fight climate change.
We foster ecofeminist spaces
We connect climate activists and feminists. We want to make as many people as possible aware of the connections between gender inequality and climate change caused by the fossil fuel industry. Our collective started from a few open-space discussion sessions. We want to continue working in this way: organising events and meet-ups to bring interested people together and create a space for discussion.
We build campaigns
We are starting up a campaign to fight Shell’s feminist washing. Shell is promoting a feminist image of the company. At the same time they are one of the biggest polluters, CO2 emitters and human rights violators. Their activities cause environmental crisis and dispossess communities. This is already disproportionately affecting women all over the world. The hypocrisy of this so called feministwashing campaign by Shell is deceptive and distract us from the true face of Shell.
We are developing off- and online actions to call out Shell and their fake feminism. Do you want to help? Contact us!
Photos by Chihiro Geuzebroek
Photos by Willemieke Kars
Photos by Nine de Pater
Photo by Miranda Xhomaqi
women* This refers to women in all their diversity, transwomen, girls, and gender non-binary people