Sustainability & Feminism

Since I was first introduced to it, sustainability has become a crucial lens I use to examine other beliefs I hold. Feminism is no exception. I consider myself a feminist, despite some of the negative connotations the word may conjure up for some. To me, feminism is a movement for equality that ultimately benefits everyone. It seeks to liberate all people from potentially limiting definitions of masculinity and femininity and encourages us to respect each other no matter what gender we identify with. Ideally, it should invite us all to be ourselves, whatever that means to each of us as individuals, and should allow us to do so without fear of being judged by the rest of society. Outside of personal identity, wage equality and other issues, however, feminism deals with some very time-sensitive and life-or-death world problems as well, including those pertaining to the environment. This is where sustainability can urgently be applied to the movement for gender equality. Feminism should be an avenue through which we can raise living standards for people throughout the globe, while sustainable practices encourage being conscientious of the burden our growing population places on our planet and developing novel ways to work with the environment to the benefit of both humanity and Earth.

While the movement for gender equality has made huge strides in the past century, we still have a long way to go. It’s simply not sustainable to ignore or minimize problems faced by half of the population (more than half, if one counts the children many mothers are often responsible for). Environmental problems, especially those related to climate change, disproportionately affect poor women and children (according to the UN’s WomenWatch). Women in rural and/or poor areas, who are more likely to depend on natural resources for their livelihoods, face social and political barriers that make it more difficult for them to adapt to adverse changes in the environment. However, since these women are often at the front lines of these issues, they often develop their own localized techniques to help mitigate problems caused by climate change as it affects their daily lives. We could learn a lot from the way women adapt to life as a changing environment demands them to discover new ways of interacting with the planet with regard to such diverse issues as water scarcity, food security, and loss of biodiversity that lie at this intersection of sustainability and social/environmental justice.

The problems that sustainability seeks to answer require all hands on deck. Women are capable leaders, innovators and problem-solvers, and their help will be essential if we want to ensure the existence of a healthy planet for later generations. Investing in women’s health, safety and education is a surefire way to invest in and help secure our future on earth.

—Michaela Herrmann, Sustainability Intern