Women who fight for the environment

On March 8th, it is celebrated the International Women's Day, date formalized by United Nations Organization in the 70s and reminds us of the ongoing struggle of women around the globe for equality of rights against men and also against machismo and violence against women.

In honor of this very important date, Digiplanet will introduce you to some women recognized for their fight for the environment and sustainability.

Wangari Maathai (1940-2011)

Wangari Maathai was a teacher, environmental activist, and the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, for her social and environmental work in underprivileged African communities. 

Born in Kenya, Wangari was the founder of The Green Belt Movement, whose focus is the environmental protection and conservation, united to the defense of women's rights.

Winona LaDuke (1959- )

Known for her work related to preservation and reclamation of indigenous territories in the United States of America, Winona LaDuke is an environmentalist, writer, and American economist who, from an early age, has dedicated herself to activism.

Winona is the executive director of Honor the Earth, a non-profit organization that aims to increase knowledge about the actions of indigenous environmental justice and that provides financial support to them, always with a perspective of sustainable development. 

Rachel Carson (1907-1964)

Considered one of the main people responsible for the launch of the modern environmental awareness, Rachel Carson was a marine biologist, scientist, writer, and American environmentalist who, in order not to reveal her female condition and, consequently, attract discredit to her work, began signing her works as R. L. Carson.

With the release of his book "Silent Spring" (1962), where she warned about the dangers of pesticide use for humans and nature, Rachel forever marked the global environmental movement. 

Isatou Ceesay (1972- )

Environmental activist and entrepreneur, Isatou Ceesay was born in Gambia and is known as the "Queen of Recycling" in her country, for having created the project One Plastic Bag, which collects and recycles landfill plastic that is later used to make bags, accessories, and mats.

Beyond the positive environmental impact, through her project, Isatou enables several women have an income through the sale of recycled products and, thus, also promotes valuable social changes. 

Vandana Shiva (1952- )

Besides being a philosopher, physicist, ecofeminist, and Indian environmental activist, Vandana Shiva (in Hindi: वंदना शिवा) is also known for founding Navdanya, a non-governmental organization and research institute, whose main goal is the protection of biodiversity and the integrity of native seeds, combined with fair trade practices.

Vandana, who has already spoken at the World Trade Organization and the World Economic Forum, is also director of the Foundation for Research in Science, Technology, and Ecology.

Nemonte Nenquimo (1986- )

Considered by Time, in 2020, one of the hundred most influential people in the world, Nemonte Nenquimo is a activist and indigenous leader from the tribe Waorani, from Ecuador, who fights for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. She is also co-founder of Ceibo Alliance, which aims to union of indigenous communities for the protection of lands and the tropical forest, as well as the promotion of their cultural survival, while still promotes solar energy and creates economic opportunities for various women.

Criticism of the lobbies of farmers, oil companies, and mining companies, Nemonte and her people managed, in 2019, successfully stop oil drilling in the Ecuadorian Amazon, thus protecting about 500 thousand hectares of forest. 

Xiaoyuan "Charlene" Ren (1994- )

The struggle of Xiaoyuan Ren, a Chinese environmental engineer, is related to the more than 300 million residents in rural China who do not have consistent access to drinking water. 

With an estimated 50% of groundwater contaminated in the country, Ren founded the MyH2O, company that provides an app that maps and monitors the quality of groundwater, which allows various communities to find a source of clean water. Since its launch in 2015, MyH2O has already served more than a thousand villages in 26 provinces. 

Greta Thunberg (2003- )

Possibly the most well-known environmental activist today, Greta Thunberg is a young Swedish student who was brought to fame in 2018, when she started skipping classes to protest in front of the Swedish parliament.

Greta is known worldwide for her activism against global warming and climate change, having been invited to participate in the biggest global political events, such as the World Economic Forum, the UN Climate Summit and the COP25, as well as other interventions in the Parliament and the European Committee. In 2019, Time magazine awarded her the title of Person of the Year.