The lessons here for funders are

• Provide core support to organisations so women leaders can get on with their job and they feel supported to do so.
• Meet regularly with women in the environment movement to find out how they are going and what they might need to get their job done. Being interested in their journey is a very powerful way of supporting them.
• Encourage and back women to find and work with a professional mentor or to access the right support, training or development women might need.

It is important to point out that most of the volunteers, grassroots activists and workers in environment and climate change community organisations are women. So, while specific funding aimed at women is important, an investment in capacity building, long-term core funding, and funding decent wages in the sector would also benefit a lot of women across the sector.

And I support women too

At the AEGN, we have a great team of intelligent, talented and effective women that I coach and mentor, and they inspire and educate me too.

As such, Daisy Barham, AEGN Environment Philanthropy Manager with thanks to other AEGN staff, have prepared the article below Supporting women to win. Daisy has worked for state, national and international organisations dedicated to protecting our natural world for over a decade.

Another wonderful resource to assist you to apply a gender lens to your giving is on the Australian’s Investing in Women (AIIW) website — the Gender-wise Toolkit. CEO of AIIW, Julie Reilly would be very happy to talk to you about their gender lens for philanthropy — julie.reilly@aiiw.org.au

Women in the environment movement

Original Power have developed a comprehensive timeline of the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resistance. Indigenous women have been at the forefront of protecting Country from nuclear mines and waste, securing land rights, and returning First Nations people to care for Country. Today over half of Australia’s land mass covered by Indigenous titled lands.

Australia’s modern environment movement emerged at a time when women’s rights were front and centre in public discussion. Sans statistics, we guesstimate that today, a majority of the volunteers, grassroots activists and workers in environment and climate change organisations are women. Although we have many wonderful women CEO’s, the gender of the ‘do-ers’ of the movement are still not represented by the leaders of the biggest environmental organisations in the country.

An investment in capacity building, long-term core funding, and funding wages commensurate with the work done in the sector would impact a lot of women.

Climate change exacerbates gender inequality

Whilst women are at the forefront of driving solutions to climate change, they are also disproportionately affected by it. The UN estimates that women compose 80 per cent of people displaced by climate change. Closer to home there are other examples — public health officials and service providers reported an increase in domestic and family violence following the 2020 bushfires, a pattern in line with research findings following the 2009 Black Saturday blazes that showed higher rates of violence in areas more severely affected by fires (pdf).

While women and girls are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and environmental destruction, they are also key to the solution. Women are often the early adopters of new agricultural techniques, decision makers in the home, first responders when crisis hits and educators of the next generations, so their involvement in climate solutions is absolutely critical.

View the UN Women’s photo essay titled: Climate change is a woman’s issue.

Support organisations with women as their specific mandate

• Women’s Environmental Leadership Australia — provides training programs and support to mid-career women
• Women’s Electoral Lobby — advocacy organisation working on a range of issues important to women
• 1 Million Women — supports women to be advocates for climate action in their daily lives and in community
• Pathway to Politics Program for Women — seeks to increase female participation in politics by equipping women with the skills and knowledge to succeed in running for all levels of elected office, and to thrive as political leaders.

Support more women to participate in training opportunities

• Democracy in Colour — their workplace placement program supports people of colour to work in progressive movements
• Community Organising Fellowship — runs in-depth training for community organisers in the climate movement
• Australian Progress Fellowship — runs trainings throughout the year in campaign and advocacy strategy and skills

Kick-start new initiatives

You can always ask the organisations you already fund what they need to better support the women in their team that are doing great work but here are some ideas:

• Women in the environment training and mentoring fund — your giving vehicle could provide a fund for women to apply for funding for training and mentoring opportunities. An example of this type of program is the Social Impact Leadership Australia established by four of Australia’s largest foundation.
• Women in the Environment address or dinner to highlight great women doing excellent work and provide a networking opportunity for women in the sector — this would need a hosting organisation, maybe an organisation you fund would make a great home for it!
• Strategy incubator — your giving vehicle could provide 3-6-12 month funding for women to have dedicated time to develop new environmental initiatives, advocacy campaigns or programs, away from the usual constraints of working for an existing organisation. A wonderful example of such a program is The Myer Foundation’s Innovation Fellowships.
• Paid internships and volunteering opportunities for young women who want to enter the sector.