WOMEN LEADERS ACROSS THE U.S. ARE PROTECTING THE EARTH AND GROWING THRIVING COMMUNITIES.
WEA’s programming in the U.S. and U.S. Territories responds to the resounding need for women’s leadership to address climate change and environmental injustice. Nationally and globally, women’s environmental leadership is both underfunded and under-recognized. WEA catalyzes the transformative power of grassroots women leaders at the frontlines of the climate crisis and builds vital alliances that strengthen and amplify the impact of their solutions.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
The United States is the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas polluter. Across the country, low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change and are more likely to live in proximity to toxic pollution from extractive industries. And despite being one of the world’s wealthiest countries, communities in the U.S. are deeply affected by inaccessible and expensive health care, rampant food insecurity, and extreme income and wealth inequality.
Women’s leadership is the number one solution to reversing climate change, and grassroots women leaders in the U.S. are implementing intersectional solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change, prevent environmental degradation, protect their communities’ health, and build resilience to climate shocks. Ensuring that these leaders have access to resources, funding, training, and strong networks of support is critical to advancing climate justice and solving the climate crisis on a global scale.
OUR FOCUS
WEA’s work in the U.S. supports women leaders to deepen their strategies for change; build powerful alliances within and across movements; and scale their solutions for environmental protection, health, and justice. Our programming connects women leaders working across regions and sectors, creating a network of mutual support as they work to protect communities and the environment.
WEA’s Signature Grassroots Accelerators for Women Environmental Leaders are designed to catalyze and unify the efforts of women environmental leaders across the country.
Through our Accelerator programs, WEA provides:
- Seed Grants to accelerate and scale urgently needed climate and gender justice-focused initiatives.
- Capacity-building training, events, and ongoing mentorship that enable participants to grow their professional development, leadership, entrepreneurial, and advocacy skills.
- Strategic communications support to increase visibility and grow the power base of existing and emerging grassroots, women-led efforts.
- Access to WEA’s global network, through which leaders share resources, knowledge, and opportunities, where they can draw upon a repository of best practices and tools to cross-pollinate ideas across disciplines and regions.
PROGRAM LEADS
Black Girls, Green Futures
We have partnered with Dr. Rasheeda Hawk (Founder of Seeds of Carver Urban Farm Collective) and Tashanda Giles-Jones (Environmental Program Specialist at Environmental Charter Schools) to launch the Black Girls, Green Futures program.
Black Girls, Green Futures aims to foster alternate pathways to green careers and environmental leadership positions for Black girls and youth from frontline communities in South LA, an area where — due to decades of discriminatory policies and systemic inequities — communities of color are disproportionately affected by health impacts caused by toxic, polluting facilities.
Through mentorship, workshops, and hands-on learning, youth participants will learn to carry out soil testing and bioremediation efforts, and will develop skills to monitor their local ecosystems and spearhead climate justice and community health initiatives.
