The Role of Women in Global Environmental Movements

This study examines the transformative role of women in global environmental movements and governance, highlighting their multidimensional contributions to sustainability, justice, and resilience. Drawing exclusively from a comprehensive body of scholarly literature, it explores how women have transitioned from marginalized participants to central agents in shaping environmental policy, grassroots activism, and climate governance. Through a descriptive-analytical framework, the paper demonstrates that women's ecological engagement transcends environmental protection-it represents an intersectional struggle for gender equity, community empowerment, and democratic participation. The findings reveal that women have not only contributed to environmental conservation but also redefined the ethics of environmentalism through feminist frameworks such as ecofeminism, feminist political ecology, and environmental justice. Across regions, women's leadership-whether manifested in local reforestation projects, policy advocacy, or transnational climate negotiations has proven instrumental in fostering resilience, enhancing community adaptation, and promoting inclusive governance structures. The paper also emphasizes the importance of integrating women's indigenous knowledge, relational leadership, and gendered communication strategies into climate policy to ensure sustainable adaptation and equitable outcomes. Moreover, technological innovation and digital empowerment are identified as emerging tools that enable women to bridge local ecological practices with global environmental advocacy. Despite persistent challenges-such as underrepresentation, gender-based violence, and epistemic exclusion-women continue to lead movements that link environmental justice to social transformation. Ultimately, the study concludes that recognizing women as architects of ecological futures is essential to achieving both environmental sustainability and gender justice. Their leadership embodies a paradigm shift toward an inclusive, ethical, and community-centered model of environmental governance suitable for the Anthropocene era.

Keywords:

Women's leadership , ecofeminism , environmental justice , feminist political ecology , climate resilience , gender and governance