Dear Friends,
June was a month of transformation. As we shifted from the vibrant renewal of spring to the nurturing warmth of summer, we were reminded of the annual journey from planting seeds to tending what grows—one that mirrors the cycle of our work at Women’s Earth Alliance (WEA). This spring, we launched our exciting 20-year Anniversary Campaign and new initiatives to bring to life our collective vision of a thriving future. Now, as summer unfolds, we’re focused on ensuring that vision has what it needs to grow and flourish.
However, this summer has also brought unprecedented heat waves to communities around the world, a stark reminder of the escalating climate crisis. These extreme temperatures and the devastation they’re causing underscore the need for immediate, impactful action. That’s why we want you to know that it’s not too late to join our Rising Tides, Rising Women campaign.
Launched in May, this powerful campaign aims to reach 40 million people living on the frontlines of the climate crisis over the next three years, providing them with urgently needed solutions. To achieve this, we are setting out to train, mentor, and fund 15,000 grassroots women leaders in 15 countries to innovate climate solutions that protect ecosystems, reduce poverty, and ensure the health of our communities.
We know the window of time to protect our lands, waters, communities, and futures is closing—but it’s not too late. Every day, we witness WEA Leaders facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, yet with unwavering determination, they roll up their sleeves and take bold action.
Your support is vital to this work, and to the world.
With gratitude,
Amira Diamond, Kahea Pacheco and Melinda Kramer
WEA Co-Directors
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ICYMI: Catch Up on Recent Events & Announcements
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Rise with WEA: Join our 20-year Anniversary Campaign
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Join us in transforming the lives of 40 million people affected by the climate crisis and environmental injustice through the Rising Tides, Rising Women campaign, equipping 15,000 grassroots women leaders to create innovative and lasting solutions that protect ecosystems, reduce poverty, and enhance community health.
WEA has accompanied more than 50,000 WEA Leaders in over 30 countries as they step forward to build thriving, resilient futures for their families, communities and regions. Now, with almost 20 years of grassroots action, deep partnerships, and impact generation guiding us, we are ready to scale and deepen our work even further.
Will you join us with a gift today?
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WEA hosts briefing on shifting problematic narratives to recognize women’s climate leadership
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As the climate crisis intensifies, women's leadership in adaptation and mitigation is crucial yet underrepresented in media, with only 27% of quoted voices in climate news being women from 2017 to 2021. Even worse, stories published on climate change and environmental stewardship often include problematic framing of women that fails to accurately reflect their roles in creating positive and impactful change.
Because the language we use, and the stories we tell about women and climate change have a profound impact on public understanding and investment—WEA recently held a press briefing on shifting the narrative of women grassroots leaders in the climate movement, and recognizing their impactful contributions.
Tune in below!
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Updates from the Alliance
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Women leaders gather at Bellagio Center to strategize a global climate campaign
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"Together, we WILL solve this crisis." - Hafsat Abiola-Costello, Co-Founder of Project Dandelion and President of the Women in Africa Initiative
WEA is proud to be part of Project Dandelion — a powerful ecosystem of visionary women leaders committed to prioritizing climate justice and working towards a livable future for all. WEA Co-Founders/Co-Directors Melinda Kramer and Amira Jessica Diamond recently joined Project Dandelion and 20 other women leaders working in climate and gender at The Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center in Italy to co-envision this global campaign.
We were deeply honored to strategize alongside some of the world's most inspiring and influential leaders, including Project Dandelion co-founders Hafsat Abiola-Costello, Co-Founder of Project Dandelion and President of the Women in Africa Initiative; Mary Robinson (first woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Chair of The Elders); Ronda Carnegie (Connected Women Leaders); and Pat Mitchell (Connected Women Leaders). This gathering marks a significant milestone in our movement, as we unite our strengths and expertise to shape a better future for our planet.
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Women's Earth Alliance, together with Seeds of Carver and Environmental Charter Schools, launche “Black Girls, Green Futures” in South Los Angeles
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Decades of discriminatory policies and structural inequities have largely seen the siting of toxic and polluting facilities in South L.A.'s black and brown neighborhoods, causing severe health impacts, especially for mothers and young Black children.
In partnership with WEA Leaders Rasheeda Hawk (Seeds of Carver) and Tashanda Giles-Jones (Environmental Charter Schools), and through hands-on projects and mentorship from seasoned leaders, “Black Girls, Green Futures” will empower the leadership of 20 middle- and high-school aged Black girls and youth in South L.A. to restore their local environment and improve community health through soil testing and bioremediation, and increase access to education and career opportunities in environmental science and climate justice.
This powerful new program will launch in August.
Learn more about the kinds of bioremediation efforts these young leaders will be working on (with sunflowers! 🌻) through the link below, or watch this video of Dr. Rasheeda Hawk’s work with Seeds of Carver.
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WEA Leaders demand Rights of Nature at Indigenous-led Yesah Tribunal
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In early June, WEA Leaders made history, coming together with partners to organize the all-Indigenous-led 12th Local Tribunal for the Rights of Nature along North Carolina's Haw River.
During the Tribunal, expert witnesses and community members presented evidence demonstrating the devastating impacts that the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP)—which went into service in early June—has on the communities, Indigenous sovereignty. WEA Leader and Co-Founder of 7 Directions of Service, Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck (Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation), also highlighted the interconnections between women’s rights and the rights of the Haw River, and emphasized that the MVP directly contravenes the protections outlined in the Violence Against Women Act.
Organizers of the Tribunal demand accountability from the MVP for violations of human rights and the Rights of Nature; destruction and desecration of sacred sites, mountains, and rivers; and for clean-up costs for impacted residents and ecosystems in West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina.
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River Guardians unite at Asia Women and Rivers Congress
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Last month, River Guardians from WEA and International Rivers’ Women and Rivers Accelerator attended the Asia Women and Rivers Congress in Chaing Rai, Thailand, joining 125+ women leaders, Indigenous Peoples, community members, researchers, youth, legal experts, policymakers, and journalists from 18 countries. The Congress marked a crucial milestone in advancing gender equity in water resource management and climate resilience.
In a Solidarity Statement, Congress attendees emphasized, “We, the women river guardians and stewards, raise our voices for our vital role in protecting our mother rivers, territories, and communities.”
The Congress facilitated transboundary cooperation among women leaders in riverine communities across Asia, building solidarity, action networks, and co-creating a vision for the future. Water conflict in Asia has largely been between river developers and local communities adversely impacted by development projects. While conflicts have increased due to climate change, and despite clear linkages between gender, water, energy, and climate change, women’s roles and leadership have not yet been appropriately recognized in transboundary water management.
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Purpose-Driven Partnerships
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Celebrating a year of partnership and impact with L'Oréal Paris
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We are celebrating one year of partnership (and counting!) with L'Oréal Paris! On World Environment Day 2023, WEA launched a global, multi-year partnership with the beauty brand, enabling us to accelerate our long standing work to equip women leaders around the world with the skills, tools, funding, and alliances they need to address the climate crisis. With L'Oréal Paris's partnership, we are bridging a critical resource gap that many grassroots environmental leaders face, and amplifying the power of women's climate leadership to protect our Earth and ensure healthy, thriving communities now and into the future. Already, nearly 400 women have already been supported in Kenya, Uganda, and Indonesia through this powerful partnership.
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Our Global Alliance in Action
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- Fiona McLeod, WEA’s Communications & Development Manager, co-hosts Terra Verde, a weekly public radio program about critical environmental issues. On this episode, she speaks with River Guardians Mayalmit Lepcha and Minket Lepcha of WEA and International Rivers’ Women and Rivers Accelerator, about the Teesta III dam break in Northern India, and their ongoing advocacy to protect their ancestral homelands in Sikkim and Darjeeling.
- Terra Verde co-host Hannah Wilton also spoke with WEA Leader Jamie Fanous of the Community Alliance with Family Farmers about the scientific literature review she recently co-authored titled, Understanding the Science Behind Climate Smart Agriculture in California. The review explores key climate smart agricultural practices for California producers, with the state having one of the largest and most diverse agricultural sectors in the U.S.
- On the WEA blog, we dive into the power of alliance-building, particularly in Mexico, as a potent force in amplifying the voices and expertise of community leaders, and in catalyzing impactful movements — including our movements for gender and climate justice.
- In the heart of Indonesia's Leuser Ecosystem, Indigenous WEA Leaders Raihal Fajri and Leoni Rahmawati are taking action to defend and conserve their ancestral lands and lifeways through innovative programs that foster environmental conservation, economic resilience, and impactful advocacy. Learn how their efforts are transforming communities, protecting critical ecosystems, and championing women's rights and leadership.
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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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