Dear Friends,
With the Fall Equinox just days away, I find myself reflecting on the shifts happening around us—both in nature and in our work. This time of year feels like a powerful moment to pause, offer gratitude for all we’ve accomplished, and prepare for the new phases that lie ahead.
In that spirit, I am so proud to share that Women’s Earth Alliance Co-Founders, Amira Diamond and Melinda Kramer, have been awarded the prestigious 2024 Heinz Award for the Environment. This recognition honors not only their visionary leadership but also the transformative impact Women's Earth Alliance has had around the world. Under their guidance, WEA has empowered the leadership of tens of thousands of women to protect their communities and the environment, while creating lasting, life-affirming change. This award is a testament to the power of women-led movements and the difference we are making for our future.
On a personal note, Amira and Melinda have been my mentors and friends for the past 14 years, helping to nurture my leadership in both my work and life. I’ve witnessed their endless care, compassion, and dedication firsthand, and I know that the impact they’ve had extends far beyond our organization—it touches lives across the world. This award shines a spotlight on their leadership, and on the countless women who have grown their own leadership through WEA.
As we celebrate this recognition, we are also looking ahead to Climate Week NYC, which kicks off this weekend. Climate Week NYC is the largest annual climate event of its kind, bringing together voices from across the world to push for bold solutions. Our team will be on the ground in New York City, joining other changemakers committed to advancing women-led climate solutions. These moments remind us of the immense potential for transformation that exists when our collective voices rise.
In closing, I wanted to offer a poem WEA’s North America/Pacific Program Director, Daniela Perez, shared during our team meeting earlier this week which deeply resonated with me. Wayfinding in the Edges by Lena Jelenjev speaks to the hope and possibility in front of us. One passage, in particular, captures the essence of this moment:
The infinite hope moving us forward
To new systems, new ways of being
From a space of regeneration
From a space of restoration
For the way for us to find ourselves
in these trenches,
is to start the process of healing
And our wayfinding is through our hearts
Mending the past, and the present
Answering the call for the future
And leading us gently back to each other
These words feel especially poignant this week as we stand at the intersection of recognition and action. As we gather for Climate Week, the call for women’s leadership in the climate movement has never been louder, nor has the need for healing and restoration ever been more urgent. Together, we are answering this call and stepping forward with infinite hope—into a future where regeneration, community, and belonging guide us back to each other and to the planet we are working to protect.
With deep gratitude and solidarity,
Kahea Pacheco
Co-Executive Director, Women’s Earth Alliance
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Women's Earth Alliance wins 2024 Heinz Award for the Evironment
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We are thrilled to announce that Women's Earth Alliance has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Heinz Award for the Environment! This recognition celebrates WEA’s steadfast commitment to advancing women-led solutions that protect our environment, address the climate crisis, and ensure a just and thriving world. For nearly two decades, WEA has empowered the leadership of thousands of women across the globe, supporting grassroots initiatives that ensure clean water, climate resilience, regenerative agriculture, and environmental justice.
While the Heinz Award formally recognizes WEA’s Co-Founders, Amira Diamond and Melinda Kramer, we are proud to say that this honor belongs to our entire alliance. This award is a testament to the collective power of grassroots women’s networks and the transformative impact we have when we come together.
“We honor Amira and Melinda for creating a global network of women who are leading effective, impactful environmental work in their communities and across whole nations,” says Teresa Heinz, Chairman of the Heinz Family Foundation. “Women’s Earth Alliance is achieving life- and planet-saving systems change…. Together with the women leaders they support around the globe, they are demonstrating what is possible despite tremendous obstacles. Their accomplishments leave us with no excuse and call us all to do better in protecting the beautiful world that we share.”
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Amplify women's climate leadership all week long
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During Climate Week NYC, amplify women’s environmental and climate leadership by downloading our social media toolkit! It’s filled with beautiful assets you can use to share your commitment to both women and the Earth. Be sure to tag WEA in your posts and join us in spotlighting the power of women-led climate solutions!
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Don't miss these Climate Week events!
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Friday, September 20
End the Era of Fossil Fuels Mobilization
Host: Fridays for Future U.S.
The WEA team will be on the ground, joining students and youth leaders for a climate strike demanding an end to fossil fuels.
Time: 2:00 PM ET
Location: Foley Square, Lafayette Street, Worth Street, Centre St, New York, NY
RSVP Here
Saturday, September 21
Support Puerto Rico’s Fight For Justice
Host: The Bori Collective
Join WEA Leader Vanessa Uriarte and The Bori Collective for an event to support three climate justice and mutual aid organizations in Puerto Rico.
Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET
Location: The People’s Church, New York, NY
Register Here
Sunday, September 22
6th International Rights of Nature Tribunal - The End of the Fossil Fuel Era
Host: International Rights of Nature Tribunal
The International Rights of Nature Tribunal will join New York Climate Week in calling for a transition from fossil fuels and advocating for the Rights of Nature as a key response to the climate crisis. WEA Leader Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck, co-organizer and case presenter for the Yesah Tribunal, will be part of an expert panel to address global cases where the fossil fuel industry has violated Nature's rights, harmed human rights and environmental defenders, and pushed the planet towards catastrophe. The Tribunal will present cases covering false climate solutions, pipeline projects, oil spills, and sacrifice zones.
Time: All Day
Location: Online and In-person (RSVP required)
Register to Attend Online | Register to Attend In Person
Thursday, September 26
Catalyzing Climate Innovations in the Global South
Host: EarthON Foundation
WEA Senior Program Manager Dr. Annesha Chowdhury will join our partners SwitchON for the celebratory launch of the EarthON Foundation. Annesha will speak on a panel on building robust support ecosystems for climate leaders, highlighting innovative grassroots women-led approaches that foster sustainability and effectiveness in the Global South.
Time: 2:30 PM – 6:00 PM ET
Location: Tang Hall, SEAS Innovation Hub, Columbia University, New York, NY
Register Here
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Rights of Nature event explores Indigenous women-led solutions
to protect the Earth
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Thank you to all who joined us last week for a powerful event on Indigenous women-led solutions to protect our planet through the Rights of Nature movement. WEA Leaders Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck (Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation) and Juliette Jackson (Klamath Tribes) shared inspiring insights into how their communities are addressing environmental violence and advocating for legal protections for land, water, and future generations. This timely conversation combined ancestral wisdom with modern law to highlight current pathways for holistic climate action being strategized and developed in real time.
You can find additional resources and a recording of the event below and on the WEA website. Please share widely and take action with us to help the Rights of Nature movement to grow!
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WEA and Conservation Heritage launch new program in Rwanda
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In August, WEA and our Program Lead, Conservation Heritage, launched a new Climate Resilience program in Rwanda, bringing together 30 grassroots women from six villages in Kinigi and Nyange. These women leaders gained hands-on skills, knowledge, and tools to address the climate crises directly impacting their communities. With a focus on "Transforming Grassroots Women into Climate Change Resilient Champions," they not dove deeper into the issues of climate change within their local contexts but also discovered ways to take meaningful action.
For many women, this training represented hope and empowerment. Jacqueline Kamagaju, a participant from Kinigi, shared how the experience shifted her perspective: "Before this training, I felt overwhelmed by the environmental changes happening around us. Now, I feel empowered and confident in my ability to contribute to our community's resilience." Our training covered sustainable land management, adaptation strategies, and conservation practices, equipping these leaders to drive positive change in their communities.
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Sustainable women-led tamanu farming takes root in Indonesia
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In collaboration with WEA Program Leads, Coastal Conservation Group, Bhakti Alam Sendang Biru Foundation, as well as Sinergi Natural, and with support from KraveBeauty, WEA hosted a training on tamanu cultivation in Malang, Indonesia. This hands-on experience equipped women farmers with practical skills in planting, nursery management, and the growth cycles of tamanu trees. The training emphasized sustainable farming practices that promote biodiversity, while fostering self-reliance and economic stability in their communities.
This ongoing initiative will continue to provide support and resources to help these farmers build a network, sustaining these practices and contributing to the conservation of their local environment.
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WEA's Nigeria Program Lead distributes 400 clean cookstoves in one day
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WEA Program Lead, Women Initiative for Sustainable Environment (WISE), in Nigeria recently distributed clean cookstoves to 400 women across Kaduna. The initiative, “Empowering Lives and Saving Our Planet, One Clean Cook Stove at a Time,” was done in collaboration with the Kaduna State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, and aims to address the significant health risks posed by cooking over open fires while tackling climate change. WISE’s founder Olanike Olugboji-Daramola noted that women cooking three meals a day over open flames inhale the equivalent of 23-24 packets of cigarettes daily, leading to severe smoke-related illnesses. Clean cookstoves will reduce these health hazards and help lower the demand for firewood, easing deforestation.
Through our ongoing partnership, WISE and WEA have distributed over 60,000 clean cookstoves and trained more than 1,860 clean energy entrepreneurs and advocates across Nigeria. Women Leaders like Asibi Hassan and Hauwa Magayaki shared how the stoves have improved their health, saved them time and money, and empowered them to take control of their environment. This initiative is a crucial step toward building healthier, more resilient communities while reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable practices.
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Our Global Alliance in Action
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- WEA was a Convening Partner for Movement Rights' “Convening of the 4 Winds” which was held in early September in Okemah, OK. This convening aimed to establish Indigenous led grassroots representation in fossil fuel ravaged “ Indian Country”.
- Dr. Annesha Chowdhury, WEA’s Senior Program Manager, recently co-authored a paper on Inclusive Conservation in Forests and Agriculture Landscape in the new Routledge Book The Capability Approach and the Sustainable Development Goals.
- WEA Leader, Indigenous advocate and Ponca grandmother Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation) recently spoke at the World Wilderness Congress, where she shared a Ponca prophecy emphasizing the need to realign human law with natural law through the legal framework of the Rights of Nature. She also highlighted the urgent need for climate action, free from doubt and delay. Casey shares similar wisdom in her film The Doctrine of Recovery which premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on September 15th
- As Environmental Charter High School—a WEA Program Lead in our Black Girls, Green Futures program—begins the school year, environmental program director and WEA Leader, Tashanda Giles-Jones spoke to the LA Times about using nature as a powerful educational tool. She emphasized the importance of teaching students not only about environmental degradation and justice solutions but also how to advocate for those solutions.
- This summer, WEA Leader Dr. Tiara Moore of Black in Marine Science hosted an episode of Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. Her transformative work to create community for Black marine scientists was also featured in a recent article in AfroTech.
- Huda Alkaff, founder and director of Wisconsin Green Muslims and a WEA Leader, has seen her work flourish as Masjid Al Quran wins the Islamic Society of North America Green Award for programs Huda helped develop which promote environmental stewardship, including education, energy conservation and a vibrant orchard and fruit garden.
- As the threat of Storm Francine settles, Roishetta Ozane, director of The Vessel Project and a WEA Leader, highlights how the underpreparedness of cities in Louisiana, and the environmental and health threats members in the community face, are a direct product of environmental racism. Ozane advocates tirelessly for the rights of Black, Indigenous and people of color to a sustainable and just future.
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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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