Photo by: Erica Brower
How a 4-Month Women- Led Program Will Help Us Tackle the Climate Crisis
Today is Women’s Equality Day, commemorating the adoption of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in 1920. That victory almost 100 years ago was the culmination of decades of activism by women across the country and moved us a step closer to fulfilling the still-elusive promise of equality for all.
Now, in the face of the climate crisis, women are mobilizing in their communities to act. Sierra Club is proud to partner with Women’s Earth Alliance on an exciting new initiative that brings together two dozen incredible women leaders to share, grow, and collaborate on building a stronger, more inclusive, and more effective climate movement.
Over the course of four months, the 24 inaugural participants in the U.S. Accelerator for Grassroots Women Environmentalists will come together virtually and in-person to work collaboratively to share their learnings, confront common challenges, and will receive ongoing support for their campaigns from Sierra Club and Women’s Earth Alliance.
Often, based in Washington D.C during in bleak political times, it can be challenging to stay motivated and inspired given the daily assaults on our human rights and environmental policies. Nonetheless, connecting with these women and hearing their stories is what gives me hope and fuels my own sense of power. We convened last week for our first video call - stretched virtually across more than a dozen states and territories - to share what inspires and bring us joy. I am thrilled for the chance to walk alongside this group for the next four months as they learn from and support one another.
These women are on the frontlines—protecting sacred Mauna Kea in Hawai’i, advocating for the health and labor rights of agricultural communities impacted by pesticide drift, organizing around the critical intersections of energy democracy, climate justice, and economic empowerment, and dismantling systemic racism and oppression within the environmental community and municipal structures. Meet all the 2019 U.S. Grassroots Accelerator leaders here!
Just as women mobilized and won the right to vote almost 100 years ago, women today make up the backbone of the climate movement. Our very future rests on their successes and we’re thrilled to lift up the work of these incredible women through this unique program.
Click here to see the full list of participants. You may find one working on a campaign you care about in a community near you! Want to connect with your local participant or learn more about the program? Email gender@sierraclub.org.