This International Women’s Day, we’re focused on how climate change is impacting women in Australia and the women leading with purpose in this space.
Women are at the forefront of climate action, and it’s little wonder, when women and girls are most affected by climate disasters across the world, including in Australia.
Much of the climate research out there is international but the scale of extreme weather events in Australia calls for a much more gendered discussion here at home.
This week, in partnership with Hall & Wilcox, Women’s Agenda held an important panel with women leading with integrity and purpose to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
While the catalysts for their careers in climate action are across the spectrum, each of the following women are covering an area of climate relief that’s having big impacts on Australia’s future.
Dr. Sophie Scamps
“Being a GP embeds you in the community, you get a deep insight into people’s lives. Trust was one of the issues at the last election,” says Dr. Sophie Scamps, the Independent MP for Mackellar who took on a very static Liberal seat.
Dr. Scamps took the seat of Mackellar through a community-driven interest in taking action on climate change. She describes herself as a concerned mum and GP who wanted to do more and said the female-led movement was “largely built by women and women’s networks.”
“It’s extraordinary to be part of that crossbench,” says Dr. Scamps. “The MPs there are there for their community.”
Both collaborative and community-driven, she says that “women’s connections are a different approach” as a lot of what underpins climate anxiety is a feeling of being left out of the conversation– something women have experienced for too long.
“Climate change means people and women particularly are in vulnerable positions,” says Dr. Scamps, adding that climate change undermines our health, which “depends on things like food security, water security, education and job security.”
Kim McKay AO
As Director and CEO of The Australian Museum, Kim McKay is leveraging her leadership to put climate action at the forefront of conversations.
McKay says that “museums are the most trusted institutions in society” and that The Australian Museum was receiving a lot of questions from the public on biodiversity.
Through investigation, McKay says the impacts of climate change on biodiversity was on a scale they’d never seen before.
“Science is telling us very clearly that it’s not good,” she says.
“It really makes you think about the insignificance that we are as people.”
McKay stressed that we need to ask and look into “how we mitigate impacts for the future and stop the cycle that is happening now.”
“We have such a unique opportunity in Australia because we are so connected to the natural environment. We like to think of ourselves as cuddly Koalas. We aren’t that, we are having this enormous impact.”
Ronni Kahn AO
Repurposing food waste has been Ronni Kahn’s driving force. She even founded an entire food waste charity, OzHarvest, which she says she’s working to “put out of business” as her goal is to achieve food security in Australia.
“One day I did an enormous event, and there was an obnoxious amount of food left. I suddenly realised this food could feed hungry people,” says Kahn.
“Food waste feeds climate change,” she says, adding that OzHarvest isn’t only a social organisation but also an environmental one.
“We often don’t think about the household food waste, food waste and climate change, and how they are linked.”
And this link is quite close to home as Khan says that “in Australia, 6 million people need food support.”
As for expanding her impact, Kahn wants other women to never underestimate the power of their voice.
“We are all very ordinary, it’s about taking action.”
Rujuta Natu
“It is a nightmare to look into the supply chain and work out where to cut emissions,” says Rujuta Natu, founder of Mantaray.
Having always been passionate about renewable energy, she created her business to solve this nightmare and reduce supply chain emissions.
Mantaray is a platform that helps companies easily find climate-friendly suppliers and the sustainability information they need to meet their emissions reduction targets.
Natu is deep into creating this climate tech startup and says that while the sector is rapidly evolving and barriers to funding still exist, what she finds “completely inspiring” is the fact that “so many female founders further along on their journeys have reached out to offer their guidance, to offer introductions.”
Maryam Popal Zahid
The impact of climate change on migration is where Maryam Popal Zahid is making her voice heard.
Through her organisation, Afghan Women on the Move, Zahid is providing a link to policymakers with migrant and refugee women who are experiencing unique climate-related impacts.
“For me it’s about awareness. I’m not coming from a place of research and the climate sector,” she says.
Having come from Afghanistan to Australia herself, Zahid says that, “when we are talking about a vulnerable part of society, I resonate with it.”
“When it comes to cultural and refugee communities, women often have a language barrier and can’t go to mainstream organisations,” says Zahid.
At Afghan Women on the Move, she says migrant and refugee women are coming to them and saying ‘all I want is food’.