Women earth defenders

Today is Earth Day! As a result, we've produced a list of empowered women who are fighting for our mother earth!

Gina Lopez

Image from Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file

The late Gina Lopez is a known eco warrior and was a former secretary of the Department of Natural Resources (DENR). During her term, she shut down or halted 26 mines that failed environmental audits, revoked approval for 75 proposed mines, and prohibited the development of new open-pit metal mines.

Greta Thunberg

Image from Sarah Silbiger, Getty Images

Thunberg rose to prominence after protesting outside the Swedish parliament in 2018, when she was 15 years old. She carried a sign that read "School Strike for Climate" to put pressure on the government to reach carbon emission reduction objectives. Her modest campaign had a worldwide impact, motivating hundreds more young people to organize their own strikes around the world. By December 2018, more than 20,000 students from all over the world had joined her in protesting by skipping school. A year later, she was nominated for the first of three Nobel Peace Prizes for her environmental advocacy.

Luisa Neubauer

Image from M. Skolimowska, picture-alliance, dpa

Luisa Neubauer, a co-organizer of Fridays for Future and the most recognized face of the German campaign in the media, was born in Hamburg in 1996. She met Greta Thunberg, a Swedish student, at the UN Climate Change Conference in 2018, and together with other activists, she initiated the movement in Germany. Luisa Neubauer has met with a number of leaders of state and government since then, as well as taking part in the World Climate Conference in Madrid and the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Shalvi Sakshi

Image from UNICEF Pacific/2017/Heinrich

Shalvi Sakshi is from Fiji, an island nation threatened by rising sea levels in the next decades. She was the youngest speaker at the COP23 talks in 2017, at the age of 13, and delivered an urgent call to action, encouraging world leaders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Marinel Ubaldo

Image from Eloisa Lopez, Amnesty International

To end this list, we have another Filipina—Marinel Ubaldo. She is an environmentalist and fighter for climate justice. She is a Registered Social Worker and one of the Founders of the Youth Leaders for Environmental Action Federation, an Eastern Visayas-based youth-led organization that strives to assist youth individuals and groups in climate advocacy. She also works at Living Laudato Si' Philippines as an Advocacy Officer for Ecological Justice and Youth Engagement. She is the Philippine Country Coordinator for UN COY16 Glasgow, as well as co-leading the organization of the Local Conference of Youth 2021, one of the most complete youth meetings this year. She's also the Philippine's Climate Science Olympiad Focal Point.

There are more empowered women out there who is an advocate of different UN Sustainable Development Goals! Who says women can’t lead? Women lead the change for the betterment of our world. 💖

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References

Earth.Org. “International Women’s Day: 10 Women Saving the Planet.” Earth.Org - Past | Present | Future, 8 Mar. 2021, earth.org/international-womens-day-women-saving-the-planet.

Esterman, Isabel. “The Rise and Fall of Regina Lopez, the Philippines’ Maverick Environment Minister.” Mongabay Environmental News, 10 May 2017, news.mongabay.com/2017/05/the-rise-and-fall-of-regina-lopez-the-philippines-maverick-environment-minister.

“Fridays for Future: A Conversation with German Climate Activists Luisa Neubauer and Helena Marschall.” Spring 2022 | News and Events | Center for German and European Studies | Brandeis University, www.brandeis.edu/cges/news-events/spring-2022/220228_luisaneubauer.html. Accessed 22 Apr. 2022.

Global Landscapes Forum. “Marinel Ubaldo.” Global Landscapes Forum Events, 10 Nov. 2021, events.globallandscapesforum.org/speaker/marinel-ubaldo/#:%7E:text=Marinel%20Ubaldo%20is%20an%20advocate,and%20organizations%20in%20climate%20advocacy.

Kraemer, By Daniel. “Greta Thunberg: Who Is the Climate Campaigner and What Are Her Aims?” BBC News, 5 Nov. 2021, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49918719#:%7E:text=Who%20is%20Greta%20Thunberg%3F,to%20meet%20carbon%20emissions%20targets.