“The Master’s tools will never dismantle the Master’s house.” – Audre Lorde
As a woman in the climate space, it’s impossible to acknowledge International Women’s Day without also reflecting on the climate crisis.
Patriarchal systems have shaped the world we live in. Where power and control have been asserted over women, people of colour, the land, the oceans, and more-than-human species alike. And it’s these systems that are exactly what’s to blame for the position we find ourselves in today. Where resources are extracted at unsustainable rates, putting power and profit above all else.
The same systems that undervalue women’s labor, limit women’s voices and perpetuate inequality are also responsible for extracting and exploiting the earth’s resources, driving climate and ecological breakdown.
This is why, as ecofeminist scholars have long argued, the climate crisis cannot be addressed under patriarchal systems. Instead, we need a new model of leadership – one that nurtures care and collaboration, and works in harmony with all life on our planet instead of oppressing it.
Adopting a feminist leadership model in climate action means sharing power, centering community knowledge and prioritising sustainability over short-term gain.
So, what does feminist leadership actually look like in practice?
The Resilience Project have put together a handy checklist, which draws on the work of many incredible women and indigenous thinkers, including:
Vandana Shiva
An Indian physicist, philosopher and activist, Shiva’s work uncovers the links between patriarchy, capitalism and environmental breakdown. Through her activism, she has challenged corporate control of agriculture and advocated for empowering local communities to manage natural resources, preserving indigenous knowledge and protecting biodiversity.
Maria Mies
A German sociologist, Mies’ co-authored Ecofeminism with Vandana Shiva – outlining foundational ideas around how the domination of women and the domination of nature are rooted in the same patriarchal and capitalist systems.
Val Plumwood
An Australian philosopher, Plumwood is known for critiquing the dualism of humans over nature. Her work reflects on how Western thought separates humans from the rest of the natural world to reinforce systems of domination.
Autumn Peltier
An Anishinaabe Indigenous rights advocate and water protector from Wiikwemkoong First Nation, Peltier campaigns globally for clean water access and environmental justice. Grounded in Indigenous teachings that view water as sacred and relational, her leadership highlights the role of youth, community, and Indigenous knowledge in shaping sustainable climate futures.
Wangari Maathai
The founder of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, Maathai combined environmental conservation with women’s empowerment and community leadership. Her work demonstrates what ecofeminism looks like in practice – grassroots environmental action rooted in gender justice and community resilience.
Today, we’re celebrating these thinkers, along with all the women and non-binary organisers and changemakers across the climate movement who’re showing us what leadership can look like when it’s rooted in care. Their insights and vision shows us that climate action is most powerful when it’s inclusive, community-led and sustainable.
Download our free resource, ‘A Guide to EcoFeminist Leadership’, to learn how you adopt ecofeminist principles to guide your own work, and use our Leadership Checklist to start putting these ideas into practice today.
Illustrations by Jade Johnson
