When women thrive, the Earth thrives.
Women's Earth Alliance (WEA) is on a mission to protect our environment, end the climate crisis, and ensure a just, thriving world by empowering women’s leadership.
In some of the most environmentally threatened places in the world, WEA leaders are defending forests and rivers, saving threatened indigenous seeds, launching sustainable farms, conserving coral reefs, and protecting land rights.
WEA takes a different approach than investing in a water well that might fail, or providing a one-time loan that could leave a woman in debt and without options. Our model identifies grassroots women leaders working on the frontlines to reverse climate change and protect their communities' natural resources, livelihoods, and health. We invest in their long-term leadership through training, funding, and networks of support. These women leaders spread their solutions to many others for years beyond project investments - creating a ripple effect that benefits women’s communities, regions, our Earth, and future generations.
OUR MODEL
Take for example, Lia.
Since 2005, Lia has been protecting native mangrove and forest areas in East Jawa, Indonesia. The Clungup Mangrove Forest in East Java Indonesia is home to a delicate ecosystem. Lia and her neighbors rely on this critical habitat for food, income, and protection from extreme weather. Overfishing and illegal logging have put the entire ecosystem at risk. Lia has dedicated her life to restoring and protecting the Mangrove forest.
Through her participation in WEA’s Indonesia Accelerator, Lia strengthened her project design and technical skills, connected with other grassroots women leaders, and was awarded a grant to grow her work. Now Lia is engaging 5,000 members of local women’s groups in forest conservation, restoring and protecting 131 hectares of coastal and inland forest, educating local children in their environmental school, and training over 100 locals in ecotourism, 80% of whom were once forest encroachers. For Lia, protecting her forest means protecting her community’s future.
OUR IMPACT
Since 2006, WEA’s signature model has enabled over 52,000 women to build their technical, entrepreneurial, and leadership skills and in turn, they are reaching over 24 million people with safe water, energy access, regenerative farming, and climate initiatives.
Since 2006
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Women Leading Environmental Projects0M+
People ReachedFor more information about WEA’s impact across sectors, please visit WEA Issue Areas.
Each region where WEA women are organizing has a unique set of conditions, knowledge, traditions, and challenges. That’s why all WEA projects are led by women leaders steeped in the community. With local leadership guiding each WEA project, we activate a series of tried-and-true components - skill sharing, advocacy support, entrepreneurship training, seed funding, and network building - that generate consistent outcomes - women's empowerment, sustainability, economic growth, and equity.
IN THE FACE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CRISES, THE DIVERSE SOLUTIONS THAT WEA LEADERS DELIVER ARE CRITICAL TO OUR SURVIVAL
Prawita Tasya Karissa
Indonesia
Using community-based and blue economy approaches with cutting edge Biorock technology to restore 50 square km of coral reefs, protect 20 km of shoreline, and build livelihoods among 40,000 people in local communities.
Beth Roach
United States
Rebuilding food security and culture for native peoples by preserving and proliferating native seed systems throughout Virginia through her organization Alliance of Native Seedkeepers, of which she is the Co-Founder.
Kalpana Ramesh
India
Protecting and restoring her city's water sources, which provides groundwater for a population of 7 million people.