Prayagraj,

23 November (HS): In 1995,

representatives from over 189 countries agreed upon a blueprint for gender

equality at the Fourth World Conference on Women. The Beijing Declaration and

Platform of Action defined 12 areas connected with gender equity, one of which

was Women and the Environment and today the inclusion of women's

voices in the climate discourse is more critical than ever. Recognising that

climate change impacts women and girls disproportionately, many influential

women leaders are working today not only to safeguard nature but to show that

climate action can be inclusive as well as gender sensitive.

An

overview: 1. Amanda Sanghvi – Management Team, Grow-Trees.com

After

working in the tax consultancy space, this qualified chartered accountant and

lawyer joined the social organisation Grow-Trees.com in 2021. They brought a

unique community-centric perspective to reforestation and the restoration of

degraded ecosystems. Her work acknowledges the relationship between land and

the communities that inhabit it and nurtures shrinking biodiversity, as well as

those who depend on it for sustenance. Such community-based, reforestation

projects are especially empowering for underserved rural women who not only

learn the basics of land stewardship but also benefit from gainful work. At

Grow-Trees.com, she also supports other management functions along with

business development. Passionate about addressing environmental crises, she is

focused on developing solutions aimed at increasing India's green cover,

protecting its forests, expanding wildlife habitats and creating carbon sinks

in overheated concrete jungles with the support of local communities.

2.

Renjini Thampi- Founder and CEO of Vapasee

Currently

a part of the 2024 cohort of the Women Climate Collective (WCC), a platform

which supports a just, gender-inclusive climate transition by empowering women

leaders to lead climate action, Renjini Thampi has always been passionate about

addressing the pollution caused by unmanaged waste. As the founder and CEO of

Vapasee, her innovative upcycling strategies have been transforming discarded

glass into decor items and artistic products. Her company has reportedly

upcycled over 28,000 glass bottles, 7,000 coconut shells, 1,000 kgs of wood and

780 kgs of metal waste. The organisation also has enormous socio-economic

impact as it employs underserved women from marginalised sections as well as

local artisans. Her community -driven work elucidates that when climate action

is intersectional, it can reap both environmental and social benefits.

3.

Leena Joshi – Executive Director of Climate Conservancy

Social

entrepreneur, climate advocate, public speaker and author Leena Joshi is the

founder and executive director of Climate Conservancy, an international

non-profit organisation with over 9000 volunteers in 60+ countries. At the core

of Climate Conservancy, is the passion to protect and conserve fragile

ecosystems, and foster adaptive climate action as well as sustainable

practices. Leena advocates inclusive land stewardship and community action to

safeguard biodiversity. She champions climate resilience across demographics

and has sat on boards and advisory councils for various organizations including

The Climate Reality Project and many more. She's also the CEO and Chair of the

Board at EcoVita, a company creating biodegradable tableware and cutlery.

4.

Hemavathi S Shekhar - Founder of Enact Earth Foundation

Lawyer,

researcher and academician Hemavathi believes that climate change is not just

an environmental issue but a human issue about displacement, gender,

labor, mental health and more. As an

advocate for equity and justice, Hemavathi works at the intersection of climate

change and law to offer greater

representation to marginalised communities.

Founded in 2021, her organisation Enact Earth Foundation, disseminates climate literacy and boosts

intergenerational equity. Her work helps to increase gender and participatory

justice and includes overlooked perspectives. She is currently a part of the

2024 cohort of the Women Climate Collective (WCC) and also a Council Member of

the Loss and Damage Youth Grant-Making Council which disburses funding to

youth-driven initiatives in the Global South.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi