Dear Friends,
Happy Winter Solstice! As we approach the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, we are readying ourselves to welcome back the light. Today, we’re reflecting on how inspiring it has been to be in community with you this year, and celebrating the momentum of our collective work for peace, justice, and earth protection. Now more than ever, we are reminded of the original spark of light that birthed Women’s Earth Alliance in 2006, when a circle of 30 women shared this vision for a world on its way:
We envision a world in which all beings—people, plants, animals, and the Earth—are safe, healthy, and living in balance with one another. We envision a world united by collective care, generosity, and reciprocity, in which ecosystems are flourishing and communities are thriving.
We’ve raised over 70% of our #WeAreMadeForThis year-end campaign goal. With your help and thanks to our 1:1 matching grant, we aim to reach (and exceed!) our goal by December 31st. With your support in 2024, WEA will:
- Invest in over 9,000 women climate leaders with a WEA Accelerator grant to exponentially scale their work and impact
- Offer 29 Accelerators in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and the U.S., to build the technical skills, climate leadership and networks of WEA Leaders and the communities they serve
- Provide WEA Leaders with wraparound support including access to a global alliance, regional trainings and meet-ups, travel stipends, monitoring and evaluation tools, curriculum design, and mentorship.
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May this season be one of renewal and connection for you and yours. We are grateful to walk alongside you in deep care for communities and the earth.
With gratitude,
Amira Diamond, Kahea Pacheco and Melinda Kramer
WEA Co-Directors
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A WEA Leader in our 2023 Women and Climate Accelerator in Tanzania, done in partnership with Bukoba Women's Empowerment Association (BUWEA).
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ICYMI: Catch Up on These Recent Events
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Explore Women-Led Land and Health Solutions from Ripple Week 2023
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Thank you to all who tuned in to WEA's annual workshop series: Ripple Week 2023! This year, we heard from visionary leaders whose work, research and art centers on regenerative, women-led land and health solutions that build abundance and nurture our communities.
Speakers included: Jamila Norman, urban farmer, activist, and host of Magnolia Network's Homegrown on HBO Max and Discovery+; Lyla June, Indigenous musician, author, and community organizer; and leaders from Fondo Semillas, the first feminist fund in Mexico.
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26 Regenerative Agriculture + Health Leaders Speak Out During World Weavers Solutions Series 2023
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WEA recently led an inspiring series of virtual gatherings for our community to connect directly with our 2023 U.S. Regenerative Agriculture & Health Accelerator Leaders. Attendees had the chance to learn about WEA Leaders’ critical initiatives and solutions to protect our lands, ensure food security, provide holistic healthcare for women and families, and more.
Sessions included “Building Power for Rematriation and Land Access”; “Farming & Foraging for Communities & Climate”; and “Healing with the Land for Women’s Health Equity.”
Head to the link below to watch recordings of all three sessions and download a resource sheet with all you need to know to connect with the Leaders.
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WEA joins SHE Changes Climate and Project Dandelion at Unite For Climate Solutions Summit
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WEA Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director Amira Diamond joined our colleagues SHE Changes Climate and Project Dandelion at the Unite For Climate Solutions virtual summit. This global women-led event was a call to unite and work towards a climate-safe world in the lead up to COP28.
During a session on "Putting Nature and People at the Heart of the Climate Agenda," Amira underscored WEA's belief that when women thrive, the Earth thrives. This theory of change has led to significant transformation around the world—lives saved, lands protected, carbon sequestered, new economic models developed and the advancement of thousands of women within informal and formal leadership.
The summit called for COP28 leadership to recognize that "the climate crisis is a leadership crisis and women have a key role to play to address it."
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Updates from the Alliance
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Before COP28, WEA Leaders rally for climate justice, representation
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Over 2,000 WEA Leaders marched in Kaduna, Nigeria to demand climate justice for women and affirmative representation in decision-making ahead of COP28. The rally was organized by WEA’s longtime partner, Women Initiative for Sustainable Environment (WISE), with support from the Global Fund for Women.
In response to this action, Kaduna State's Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources pledged the government's continued support to ensure active participation of women in climate change programs and interventions, saying: "The actions taken by these women are very encouraging. We will be there for them, we will support them, we will support climate action, and we will support climate justice for women."
Olanike Olugboji-Daramola, Founder and Director of WISE and a WEA Founding Mother, launched WISE after participating in WEA’s first Women and Water Training in Kenya in 2008. Today, Olanike also guides WEA’s work in the region as our Nigeria Project Lead.
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Weaving Sustainability: A WEA Leader's Eco-Entrepreneurship Journey
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This year, WEA and Pratisara Bumi Foundation (PBF) launched the 2023 Rural Climate and Economic Resilience Accelerator Program (RuCLER) in Indonesia. Together, we set out to revive and accelerate the growth of women-led eco-businesses as a way to create more resilient and sustainable livelihoods for women, families and communities, while maintaining regions’ distinctive cultural characteristics and natural resources.
We launched with 9 women ecopreneurs leading social enterprises across Indonesia. Here, you’ll meet one of those inspiring leaders—Gita Noerwardhani, founder of Seratnusa—who shares the powerful impact they’re having on the community by turning banana stems into woven bags, baskets, accessories, and paper.
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Purpose-Driven Partnerships
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Green Beauty with a Purpose: KraveBeauty x WEA’s Exciting Collab
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WEA and KraveBeauty have come together to support women tamanu farmers in two Indonesian provinces. For this special collab, KraveBeauty has launched two products harnessing the power of tamanu oil sourced from WEA farmers in Kebumen, West Jawa & Malang, East Jawa—100% Cold-Pressed Tamanu Oil & JUMBO Great Barrier Relief.
1% of every KraveBeauty purchase (and 5% of this special launch) goes directly to WEA and our work with tamanu farmers. Together with KraveBeauty, we’re improving the labor-intensive harvesting and deshelling process, while also enhancing financial literacy and business management skills for farmers. As a result, they are expected to increase their income by more than 50%.
Get all the details on this partnership and products here.
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Women's Earth Alliance (WEA) empowers women’s leadership to protect our environment, end the climate crisis, and ensure a just, thriving world.
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