Women’s Day

(Eco-) Feminism in numbers
I once saw a woman wear a badge with a very catchy slogan: ‘Destroy the patriarchy, not the planet’. As radical as that may have sounded, she made a great point: there is definitely a connection between the exploitation of women and the exploitation of Mother Earth. To quote Ana Sandoval, a land defender and feminist activist from Guatemala: “In the end, all the struggles have the same objective: the defense of life.” This Women’s Day, let’s celebrate both feminism and the green movement for fighting hand in hand to protect and empower the voiceless. Here are some poignant statistics to inspire you. Happy Women’s Day!

The Numbers
1: The position of environment or energy portfolios amongst ministerial positions held by women (jumping from third place to top spot in one year).
10: The number of years needed to switch to 100% clean, renewable energy, according to feminist politician Alexandria Ocasio–Cortez’s Green New Deal.
40: BILLION − The number of hours a year women in sub–Saharan Africa spend collecting water. (In Malawi, women collect water for 9.1 hours per week compared to 1.1 hours for men).
60: The number of years Jane Goodall (now 88) has been studying and protecting wild chimpanzees.
70: The percentage of health, care and service workers during the pandemic that were women.
71: The percentage of UK women committed to ethical living, compared to just 59% of men.
80: The number of female scientists who met up during the Homeward Bound Antarctica expedition to make planet–saving plans.
80: The percentage of people displaced by climate change that are women.