8 Women Leading the Charge in Sustainability

When you think of leaders of the climate movement who comes to mind? Do you envision scientists? Politicians? Maybe you envision GreenPeace protesters with hand-written signs strapping themselves to trees or oil sand equipment. But do you envision women? Mothers, daughters, and yes even grandmothers? Well you should!

Whether we believe that women’s tendency towards nurturing, caring, and thinking of others first is an innate characteristic or a socialized quality; it seems to me like these characteristics are a driving force behind our passion for change and our support of the sustainability movement.

Think for a moment of the fierce love of a mother and her need to protect her family. When the water in their community is undrinkable, their essential hunting grounds are threatened, or there’s a decline in the health of their community following the establishment of a polluting industry; women experience the direct impact in their daily lives.

What is the result? Women are leading the charge in sustainability! 

Women are underrepresented in both politics and science, yet when you look at lists of climate activists the few women in those positions make the list. When we look at youth activists and activists in the non-government organization sector women dominate!

In fact, over 70% of the brands we carry are women-owned businesses (not including businesses that are co-owned or co-run by men and women). And I know some of the male entrepreneurs featured in our shop were inspired by the women in their lives or supported and mentored by other female entrepreneurs.

So let me share with you 8 amazing females at the forefront of the sustainability movement:

Christiana Figueres (Diplomat, Costa Rica)

Before the Paris Climate talks, there was Christiana Figueres. That’s right, Ms. Figueres, in her role as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, paved the way for the climate talks that help govern countries around the globe.

Autumn Peltier (Anishinabek Nation Chief Water Commissioner, Canada)

Autumn Peltier was shocked as a child by signs warning about toxic water when she visited Serpent River First Nation. Since then, Autumn has fought for all people to have access to clean drinking water. She has been nominated for three International Children’s Peace Prizes and has publicly criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his inaction.

Larissa Crawford (Founder, Managing Director, Future Ancestors Services, Canada)

 As a Metis-Jamaican woman, Larissa’s work centres on anti-racism, climate justice restorative practices, and decolonized engagement. She is currently a part of Future Ancestors where she continues to raise awareness and gather donations for anti-racist and climate justice initiatives.

Naomi Klein (Journalist & Filmmaker, Canada) 

After focusing on issues like human rights and inequality, Klein was moved to discuss climate change after the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I’ve mentioned Klein before, but her book This Changes Everything is just that good. I love how she likens the earth to a womb and the struggle to bear life against pollution. 

Ta'Kaiya Blaney (Tla A'min Nation Singer, Actor, & Activist, Canada)

When she was just 8, Ta’Kaiya Blaney began her environmental activism, realizing she had to fight for the land she lived on. Some of the causes she’s influenced include Idle No More and the Paris Climate Conference.

Greta Thunberg (Climate Activist, Sweden)

We can’t have a list of women in sustainability without including Greta Thunberg. When Thunberg first learned about climate change she immediately changed her own lifestyle, becoming vegan and refusing to travel via airplane. This eventually grew to become the School Strike for Climate Change which garnered her international attention. 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Congresswoman, United States)

Commonly referred to by her initials AOC, Ocasio-Cortez is a prominent American politician and activist - she is also the youngest woman to ever serve in US Congress. She's been taking America by storm; igniting the hearts of young people with her demands for a Green New Deal.

Sheila Watt-Cloutier (Inuit Activist, Canada) 

As a young woman, Sheila Watt-Cloutier realized that her Inuit community was being negatively impacted by a shift away from traditional practices. Since then, she has become an outspoken critic of synthetic chemicals in food as well as the effects of climate change on traditional ways of life. Watt-Cloutier has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her work.

How can you not be inspired by this list of incredible women? I know I am!

There is so much more to say about these incredible women so I encourage you to check out the links to learn more. It was hard to keep this list to just 8, there are so many fierce women in sustainability. We want to know: who inspires your sustainability journey?