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Women & the Environment PHILANTHROPY BRIEFING Environmental Funders Network Women & the Environment Carolyn E. Kossow IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL FUNDERS NETWORK AUGUST 2020 WOMEN & THE ENVIRONMENT What we do to nature, we do to ourselves. “There is no insular divide between the environment and our bodies. Environmental hazards are also health hazards VANDANA SHIVA, ECOFEMINIST ACTIVIST ” About the Environmental Funders Network (EFN) EFN is collaborating to secure a truly EFN does not hold funds, consider or make sustainable and just world, fit for people and grants, or advise fundraisers. Please do not nature. Our mission is to increase financial send funding requests to EFN as we cannot support for environmental causes and to help respond to them. Funders interested in joining environmental philanthropy to be as effective EFN or finding out more about the network as it can be. Our members are funders, mainly should contact EFN’s director, Florence Miller, at based in the United Kingdom, who pursue these [email protected]. This report, along aims at home and overseas. As their network we with other EFN publications and resources will work inclusively, efficiently, transparently, relevant to environmental philanthropy, is accountably, and to high standards of social and available on the Resources page of our website: environmental responsibility. www.greenfunders.org/resources. About this report EFN was delighted to work with Carolyn These studies underscore the effectiveness of Kossow after she completed her Master’s degree examining environmental issues from a gendered in Gender Studies at the London School of perspective, and gender equality from an Economics, and was keen to further explore environmental point of view. For philanthropists the links between gender equality and the engaging in the environmental sector, we hope environment, and the role that philanthropy can this will bring a nuanced, human perspective to play in supporting both causes. the multitude of environmental issues we face today. For those supporting work to close the The purpose of this report is to delve into gender inequality gap, this guide will demonstrate the links between gender inequality and the that funding for environmental projects is an environment, to bring to light the multitude of effective way of bringing about this change. connections and thereby garner wider support We want to encourage a wider demographic of for both causes. It provides case studies from funders to support projects at the nexus of gender around the globe including Thailand, the United and the environment. States, India, Guatemala, Canada and Madagascar. Cover image © Joel Lukhovi, Project Survival Media 2 2 WOMEN & THE ENVIRONMENT Contents Introduction Addendum: COVID-19 ..............................................................................................4 The environment ...................................................................................................4 Gender and the environment ....................................................................................5 Gendered approaches to the environment (ecofeminism, feminist environmentalism, environmental justice) ...................................................5 Vulnerability of women .........................................................................................7 Vulnerability of children .......................................................................................7 Case studies: women’s resistance to environmental degradation NORTHERN THAILAND: water insecurity ....................................................................8 WEST VIRGINIA, THE UNITED STATES: mountain-top removal . 9 CHHATTISGARH, INDIA: deforestation .....................................................................10 EL ESTOR, GUATEMALA: mining .............................................................................10 NUNAVUT TERRITORY, CANADA: resource extraction . 11 WESTERN MADAGASCAR: community health and conservation ......................................11 Conclusions ....................................................................................................12 Further resources ...........................................................................................13 NGOs to consider supporting ...................................................................................13 Literature and films ...............................................................................................15 References ......................................................................................................16 3 WOMEN & THE ENVIRONMENT Introduction Addendum: COVID-19 This briefing delves into the links between gender inequality and environmental degradation, shedding light on the multitude of connections between these issues and calling for wider support for both causes. Although this briefing was written just prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, it is critical to acknowledge the pandemic’s disproportionate effect on women and girls, and the ways in which lockdown and social distancing policies have exacerbated inequalities for women1. Nahla Valji, the United Nations’ Senior Gender Advisor explained, “This pandemic is being layered on top of existing inequalities and it’s exacerbating those inequalities.”1 The global economic downturn, sparsely © Winnemem Wintu Tribe resourced and overwhelmed healthcare systems, vast unemployment, and increases in reports of The Environment domestic violence are just some of the ways in The environment affects every aspect of which COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting humanity around the globe, and humans women. are currently challenging the planet in Violence against women and girls has increased unprecedented ways. Resource extraction, by more than 25 per cent in several places around large-scale agriculture, development and the world, according to the United Nations. There consumerism have contributed towards the has been a disproportionate economic impact and loss of habitats and species, and the pollution health risk for women, who comprise a significant of air and sea. Environmental degradation portion of both the service and healthcare can be seen everywhere, and the effects of industries. Additionally, societal structures and climate change are now well documented and gendered divisions of labour historically have widespread. resulted in women acquiring the bulk of unpaid In 2017, NASA stated that “the current warming family and child care, which during times of trend is of particular significance because most lockdown have become even more consuming. of it is extremely likely (greater than 95 per cent While stay-at-home orders helped to flatten the probability) to be the result of human activity curve of the pandemic, it is crucial to acknowledge since the mid-20th century and proceeding at that such extreme circumstances are further a rate that is unprecedented over decades to endangering the social, mental and physical millennia.”2 health of women and girls around the globe. The disproportionate effects of the pandemic on women Collaborative, nation-wide responses are and girls parallel the gendered consequences required to combat global heating and the of environmental degradation discussed in this degradation of the planet.2 Recent key scientific briefing, and have further highlighted the essential reports have reinforced the urgent need roles women play in resilience movements globally. for action. The Intergovernmental Panel on 4 WOMEN & THE ENVIRONMENT Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Gender and the Environment Warming3 in October 2018 warned that there are only a dozen years for global warming to GENDERED APPROACHES TO THE be kept to a maximum of 1.5°C, beyond which ENVIRONMENT: HOW DO THE MOVEMENTS even half a degree will significantly worsen INTERSECT? the risks of drought, floods, extreme heat and The gender justice movement – a movement poverty for hundreds of millions of people. striving to achieve equality amongst all genders It concluded that urgent and unprecedented – has long been concerned with issues of changes are needed to reach the 1.5°C target. the environment. What are some gendered The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform approaches to environmental issues? on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Global highlights the connection Report on Biodiversity4, published in May Ecofeminism 2019, estimated that up to one million species between human exploitation and domination currently face the threat of extinction: more of nature, and the exploitation and domination 5 than at any other point in human history. It of women. Ecofeminism works to reveal and advocated for transformative change if life on empower a symbolic connection between Earth is to be safeguarded and people are to women and the environment. It is often regarded continue to receive the services and benefits as controversial for its claim that women are that nature provides. universally, spiritually connected to nature. One popular idea that stemmed from the ecofeminist Project Drawdown, the research organisation movement is the broadening of the meaning of that reviews, analyses, and identifies the most ‘environment.’ Rather than just associating the viable global climate solutions (drawdown.org), environment with wilderness, national parks, states that if educating girls and family planning the outdoors, etc., ecofeminism encourages us to are combined, this becomes the #1 solution to think about the ways in which
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