Women & the Environment
We are at a pivotal moment. The largest generation of young people in human history is about to come of age. Nearly half the world's population - 3 billion people - is under the age of twenty-five. Soon they will make decisions about childbearing - decisions that will have a huge impact not only on their own lives, but on whether there are 9 billion or 12 billion of us forty years from now. More people will mean a bigger impact on the environment and fewer natural resources to go around. Slowing population growth is a part of slowing climate change. We must empower women and ensure access to reproductive health services to alleviate poverty and ensure a sustainable future.
With environmental degradation on the rise, what is the gendered impact of climate change? How are women paying a disproportionate price? What can you do to influence both US and International climate negotiations?
- Check out FMF’s Brand New toolkit on women and water scarcity: “Breaking the Cycle: Women, Water, and the Search for Equity”
- Encourage your decision-makers to support sustainable development initiatives that help to achieve the Millennium Development Goals
- Get involved with Sierra Club’s Global Population and Environment Program
- Find out more about WEDO's publications, factsheets and case studies on women and water
- Join Sierra Club’s Population Justice Environmental Challenge campaign
- Take action in your community by using WEDO's online action kit to educate and advocate for gender and climate change!
- Join WEDO's Women Demand U.S. Action on Climate Change campaign listserve
- Join the Think Outside the Bottle Campaign to support strong public water systems over bottled water profits
- Find out about your region’s local water worries and spread the word on your community and campus. Host a panel or film-screening connecting the dots between women and water, and generate media to educate your peers!