The role of women in environmental initiatives and sustainable development.

Introduction

The link between gender equality and environmental sustainability is not just a theory, but a proven interdependence. Women, as an integral part of society, play a crucial role in ensuring a sustainable future. Historically, women's connection to nature has been perceived as deep and symbolic: they are associated with fertility, motherhood and nurturing life - qualities that play an important role in preserving the environment. 

Since the 1980s, the importance of women's participation in conservation has been emphasized internationally. In 1985, the Third International Conference on Women in Nairobi formally recognized the role of women in environmental protection as part of a strategy for the future. In 1991, the first WEDO (Women in Environment and Development) World Congress of Women was held. In 1992, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development officially recognized women as a “core group”. This conference emphasized the active participation of women to institutionalize culture and create the necessary mainstream to achieve sustainable development. In countries that followed this principle, sustainable development was realized with amazing speed. These principles were further enshrined in the Millennium Development Goals. The link between gender equality and environmental sustainability is not just a theory, but a proven interdependence. Women, as an integral part of society, play a crucial role in ensuring a sustainable future. Historically, women's connection to nature has been perceived as deep and symbolic: they are associated with fertility, motherhood and nurturing life - qualities that play an important role in preserving the environment.

According to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 5 (“Gender Equality”) and SDG 13 (“Combat Climate Change”), empowering women has a direct impact on the effectiveness of climate and environmental initiatives.

According to the UN, women account for 80% of people displaced by climate disasters. In regions dependent on natural resources, they are the first to face the consequences: in sub-Saharan Africa, women spend up to 8 hours a day collecting water and firewood, limiting their access to education and economic activity.

But women are not just vulnerable, as is often assumed - they are active agents of change. From Wangari Maathai's Green Belt in Kenya to localized initiatives in cities, women are becoming authors of solutions, not just objects of policy. In this context, the words of Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program, sound particularly compelling: "Without women, neither climate transition nor sustainable development is possible. They don't wait for solutions - they create them.

Let's look at a few examples of outstanding women whose efforts inspire action and show how, through personal initiatives and professional endeavors, you can change the world.

Women and the environment: leaders changing the future of the planet

Around the world, women play a key role in protecting the environment - from developing international agreements to implementing innovative solutions on the ground. Their contributions to environmental initiatives are not just significant - they are transforming the agenda, shaping the future and opening new horizons for sustainable development. Women politicians, activists, scientists, and entrepreneurs are becoming not just participants in the green movement, but its engine and inspiration.

Legacy and Future

Women dedicated to environmentalism are building bridges between generations, cultures and approaches to sustainable development. The example of Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of the Green Belt Movement, inspires millions of women around the world. Thanks to her initiative, more than 20 million trees have been planted in Africa, and this has been not only ecologically but also socially transformative.

Global Leadership and Diplomacy

One of the most prominent examples of women's leadership was Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It was she who, after the failure of the climate talks in Copenhagen in 2009, spearheaded the creation of a new, comprehensive agreement. Thanks to her strategy of “radical cooperation,” the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, uniting 196 countries around the world in the fight against climate change. This document was a historic milestone - it brought the share of renewable energy in the global energy system to 40% in 2024 and reduced the cost of solar energy by 85%.

An equally important voice was Hilda Hein, the first female president of the Marshall Islands (2016-2020), the first female PhD in the country, and founder of a women's rights group. She has felt the effects of climate change on a personal level. Faced with the threat of flooding in her home, she initiated the construction of dikes and protective structures, and brought the issue of small island states to the international stage. On the international stage, she led the 50-nation Forum of Climate Vulnerable Countries and succeeded in making the Marshall Islands the first country to submit CO₂ reduction pledges under the Paris Agreement.

Habiba Sarabi is a physician, political activist and one of Afghanistan's first female leaders, who has become a symbol of sustainable development and conservation in the face of conflict. In 2005, she became the first female provincial governor in Afghanistan's history to lead Bamyan, a region rich in cultural and natural heritage but one of the least developed. One of her priorities has been to develop tourism as a sustainable source of income.

Sarabi's main contribution to the environmental sphere was the creation of Afghanistan's first national park, Band-e Amir. This picturesque natural complex of six blue lakes surrounded by limestone cliffs has become a symbol of hope and preservation of the country's natural heritage. It was for this initiative that she was named to Time magazine's list of environmental heroes in 2008.

Voices from indigenous and vulnerable communities

Indigenous voices are increasingly being heard among women defending nature. For example, Nemonte Nenkimo, a Waorani leader from Ecuador, secured a 2019 injunction against oil drilling in the Amazon rainforest. Her action saved more than 500,000 acres of forest from destruction. “I grew up surrounded by the songs of the wise women of my community who sang that the green forest we see today exists because our ancestors protected it,” she says. Nemonte is co-founder of the Seibo Alliance, which promotes environmental and women's initiatives among indigenous peoples, including solar energy projects. In her words, her blood is “warrior blood.” But Nemonte Nenkimo's battlefield is the courtroom, and she fights with facts on her hands.

Another example is Niria Alicia Garcia, an environmental activist and human rights activist from the United States. She organizes the annual Run4Salmon run, a 480-kilometer marathon that follows the migration path of the endangered Chinook salmon in California. For Garcia, the run is not just a physical challenge, but a way to protest government inaction. She calls for the protection not only of individual species, but of the entire living world that depends on clean water and sustainable natural cycles. This project combines activism, environmental education and the fight for aquatic ecosystems.

Science, knowledge and education

The role of women in science is also significant. Mexican biologist, ecologist and former Environment Minister Julia Carabias Lillo is co-author of the influential UN report Reconciling with Nature. It outlines science-based measures to tackle the climate crisis, restore biodiversity and reduce emissions. Karabias emphasizes that the fight for the planet requires not only changes in policy, but also a transformation in the way of life of each individual.

In Russia, one of the leading figures in the field of nature conservation is Natalia Danilina. She represents the interests of Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and heads the Zapovedniki Center. Her efforts are focused on the development of eco-tourism, education and protection of specially protected natural areas, including through her participation in the development of the Federal Law “On Specially Protected Natural Areas”.

Innovation and entrepreneurship

Women are also emerging as innovators with sustainable business models. Kenyan engineer Nzambi Mati founded Gjenge Makers, a startup that recycles plastic waste into heavy-duty paving stones. Her company produces up to 1,500 tiles a day, thereby reducing the burden on landfills and creating jobs. Nzambi Mati has always been concerned about the overpopulation of plastic waste on the streets of Nairobi, Kenya. “Plastic is a material that is misused and misunderstood,” says the former engineer “It has great potential, but its ‘life’ after use can be a disaster.”

Mindy Lubber, head of the Ceres organization, is an advocate for integrating sustainability into corporate strategies. She initiated Climate Action 100+, a program that has brought together more than 500 investors with more than $47 trillion in assets. Labber believes that ecology and economics are not contradictory, but rather mutually reinforcing. Her approach is based on the idea that environmental investment is not only ethical, but also beneficial.

Community Initiatives and Local Projects

Activists have always been and are initiating important environmental changes. An example is Fatema Alzelzela from Kuwait, founder of Eco Star, an initiative to recycle waste from restaurants and schools. Since 2019, the organization has recycled over 130 tons of materials including plastic, paper and metal. Fatema actively uses social media to educate and inspire other young people to take environmental action.

Equally impressive is the story of Xiaoyuan Ren from China, who founded the MyH2O platform, an app that informs rural communities about water quality. Since 2015, the project has reached more than 1,000 villages in 26 provinces across China. It not only provides data, but also helps connect communities in need with companies that provide filtration and access to clean water.

In Uzbekistan, women are also active conservationists, leaders in scientific and educational environmental initiatives. Their activities are breaking down gender barriers in the minds of the people and creating space for a new - sustainable - future. I would like to mention women patrons - our compatriots who prove that sustainable development is not just a concept, but a set of real actions.

Leyla Belyalova

A vivid example of such an active position is Leyla Belyalova, PhD in Biology, Associate Professor at Samarkand State University and Senior Researcher at the Zeravshan Nature Reserve. Her scientific and educational activities are aimed at preserving avifauna and mountain ecosystems of Uzbekistan. L. Belyalova is the coordinator of a number of international projects, participates in global programs such as “World Ecological Action” and “Bird Migration Day”. International recognition of her achievements is confirmed by the “Hero of Nature” award from Birdlife International and inclusion in the list of 100 most influential women in the world according to BBS. Her image became a symbol of the UN photo exhibition “17 Faces of the Movement”, reflecting women's contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and an inspiring example for future generations.

Oral Ataniyazova

The second outstanding woman was Oral Ataniyazova, a doctor, scientist and public figure from Karakalpakstan, who dedicated her life to fighting the consequences of the Aral Sea disaster. By founding the Perzent Center for Reproductive Health and Environment, she combined medicine, environmental education and social adaptation of women in the region most affected by the ecological crisis. O. Ataniyazova is a winner of the Goldman International Environmental Prize and President of Doctors for the Environment. Her work is an example of the deep connection between women's rights, health and environmental sustainability.

Natalia Shivaldova

It is impossible not to mention Natalia Shivaldova, the founder and chairman of the board of the Environmental Resource Center “EKOMAKTAB”. Her efforts to develop environmental education, support women's initiatives in eco-business and educate young people have made EKOMAKTAB one of the leading environmental NGOs in Uzbekistan. Numerous initiatives, from children's camps to international environmental projects, have been implemented under her leadership.

“Urik Guli”

Mutabar Khushvaktova, known as ‘Urik Guli’, is an eco-blogger who popularises respect for nature through social media. Urik Guli was one of the first to popularise the ideas of environmental activism in the country. Thanks to her blog and social media posts, environmental issues have become a subject of public discussion and encouragement for concrete action. In her writings, she covers Uzbekistan's biodiversity, water scarcity, waste recycling and air pollution. Her accounts have become an alternative and accessible source of environmental information, creating a new environmentally orientated mindset among her followers. In July 2023, she held a colourful campaign in a plastic bag costume, drawing attention to the problem of plastic. Ecobloggers like her play an important role in building a culture of sustainability by uniting society around key environmental challenges. The use of digital platforms expands the reach of such initiatives and makes the environmental agenda more accessible and meaningful to a wider audience.

All of the women mentioned above, regardless of profession and experience, have one thing in common: they do not wait for change - they create it.

The examples of women such as Leyla Belyalova and Oral Ataniyazova clearly demonstrate that women's leadership can not only draw attention to environmental problems, but also offer concrete, effective solutions. The work of Natalia Shivaldova and EKOMAKTAB, the environmental activism of blogger Urik Guli, and the contributions of activists from across the country demonstrate that women have made, are making, and will continue to make a significant contribution to achieving sustainable development.

Photos "17 faces of Uzbekistan."

Conclusion

Continuing the theme of the role of women in the environmental movement, it is important to emphasise that supporting women, or rather removing barriers to their participation in environmental initiatives, is one of the key conditions for sustainable development. Women around the world are demonstrating that active citizenship, science and leadership can make a real difference.

Women everywhere, working in educational organisations and research institutes, blogging, teaching, developing environmental businesses, volunteering and shaping a new environmentally responsible generation. The small local examples we see confirm the global trend: women's participation in the environmental agenda is not an act of charity, but an investment in the future. Supporting their initiatives, education and involvement in decision-making directly affects the sustainability of both individual communities and entire countries.

Thus, without women's active and systemic participation, neither effective environmental management nor a just climate transition is possible. Women's empowerment is not just a matter of equality, but a pragmatic necessity without which sustainable development is impossible. Women are no longer just raising their voices for nature - they are leading the world towards a new, green reality.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow, women are not just agents of change, but architects of change.