Iconic women activists confronting climate change in 2022

01 / 01 / 2023

By Marwa Nassar - -

Women activists played a key role in the world fight against climate change in 2022 as they worked on improving their local environment, and helping their community to adapt to an increasingly hostile climate.

Mexican violinist Martha Corzo was one of key environmental activists in 2022. She led and inspired a group of some 17,000 local environmental activists, devoted to protecting the remote and beautiful Sierra Gorda; a group of women in Niger who have integrated refugees and migrants in their bid to stave off desertification by creating a thriving market garden; and a mechanical engineer in Kenya who had to fight gender discrimination to develop practical and affordable energy solutions.

In May, Cameroonian activist Cécile Ndjebet’s efforts to improve the lives of those who depend on forests were recognized, when she was awarded the 2022 Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award, which is chaired by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

In Cameroon, roughly 70 percent of women live in rural areas and are dependent at least in part on harvesting wild forest products for their livelihoods. However, in some communities, women cannot own forest land, inherit it if their husband dies, or even plant trees on degraded land.

“Men generally recognize the great role women play in improving families’ living standards,” she said at the ceremony, “but it is important for them also to agree that, for women to continue to play that role, and even improve in that role, they need secure access to land and forests”.

The United Nations, which is committed to empowering women and girls, works relentlessly with activists and organizations across the world, to protect women from abuse, support health initiatives, and improve lives. The climate crisis has been shown to disproportionately affect women and girls.

The UN has encouraged joining amplifyHER, a new series from UN Podcasts, celebrating the work and inspiring careers of some of the most exciting women singers, from around the world.

Many women produce art in the face of, and sometimes inspired by, the challenges they face in society, whether related to insecurity, human rights, climate change, inequality, or simply because of their gender.