The climate warriors: Women taking the lead • FRANCE 24 English

Key Concepts

• Women and Climate Change: Women are disproportionately affected by climate change, being the primary victims and climate refugees.
• Feminism and Climate Action: The video highlights the intersection of feminist principles and climate activism, emphasizing the need for women's voices in climate negotiations.
• Women Wave Project: An all-female crew sailing to COP 30 in Brazil to raise awareness about the link between feminism and climate action.
• COP 30 Climate Talks: The upcoming climate conference in Brazil, focusing on the Amazon and the need for unrepresented voices to be heard.
• Climate Justice: The concept that climate change is an issue of fairness, with disproportionate impacts on vulnerable populations and regions.
• Fossil Fuel Dependency: The link between reliance on fossil fuels and financing wars, as exemplified by the situation in Ukraine.
• Empathy in Activism: The importance of empathy as a driving force for climate action, countering arguments that it is a threat to civilization.
• Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resilience: The valuable insights and traditions of indigenous communities, particularly in the Amazon, for living in balance with nature.
• Deforestation and Land Rights: The struggle against deforestation in the Amazon and the impact on indigenous communities and their ancestral territories.
• Community-Based Climate Solutions: Examples of local initiatives, like reforestation and sustainable agriculture, led by women in Senegal.
• Innovation and Collective Action: The belief that tackling the climate crisis requires innovative approaches and the power of people working together.

Women Wave Project: Sailing for Climate Action

The video introduces the "Women Wave Project," an initiative featuring an all-female crew of six activists and three professional sailors embarking on a voyage to Belém, Brazil, the location for the COP 30 climate talks. The project's core aim is to highlight the crucial link between feminism and climate action.

Key Figures and Motivations:

• Cammy Etien: A prominent French climate activist, often dubbed "France's Greta Thunberg," is the driving force behind the Women Wave Project. At 27, she leverages her social media influence to advocate for climate action.
• Project Goals: Etien articulates three main hopes for COP 30:
  1. Preventing Worsening Conditions: A realistic hope that the situation won't deteriorate further, acknowledging the potential for severe escalation.
  2. Exposing Inaction: To demonstrate to the world that governments are not fulfilling their commitments made during the Paris Agreement, necessitating action from citizens. Etien recalls her childhood experience at the Paris Agreement, where she witnessed adults seemingly taking responsibility, a stark contrast to the current perceived inaction.
  3. Amplifying Unrepresented Voices: To ensure that voices, particularly those from the Amazon region which will be central to COP 30, are heard more effectively.
• Rationale for an All-Female Crew: Etien explains the deliberate choice of an all-female crew:
  • Sorority and Empowerment: The experience fosters a unique sense of sisterhood and empowerment, especially given the underrepresentation of women in sailing. The common perception of a "sailor" is not typically female.
  • Addressing Disproportionate Impact: Women are identified as the primary victims of climate change, constituting approximately 80% of climate refugees. They are on the front lines of climate disasters.
  • Bridging the Representation Gap: The stark contrast between women's vulnerability to climate change and their low representation (around 10%) in climate negotiations is illogical and needs to be counterbalanced. The project aims to demonstrate that women can undertake significant actions, like crossing an ocean with a low carbon footprint, and thus urge negotiators to do more.

Challenges and Activism:

• Journey Difficulties: The voyage has been arduous, with the crew battling seasickness and severe weather, showcasing a struggle against the elements.
• Bold Action: For seasoned activists like Etien, taking bold steps to convey messages is not new.
• Connecting Climate to Other Crises: Etien emphasizes that climate action is intrinsically linked to justice. She points to Africa's low emission contribution (around 4%) despite being on the front lines of consequences, highlighting a "double injustice."
• Fossil Fuels and War: Etien draws a connection between European dependency on fossil fuels and the financing of the war in Ukraine, arguing that phasing out fossil fuels contributes to peace.
• Gaza Conflict: She describes the situation in Gaza as a "genocide" and an "ecocide," noting the destruction of arable land.
• Empathy as a Counter-Movement: In response to figures like Elon Musk who view empathy as a threat, Etien advocates for "even more empathy," seeing it as a crucial driver for climate activism.
• Fighting Without Guarantee of Hope: Etien's motivation stems from a sense of necessity rather than hope. She fights because "there's no other choice" and believes that taking action can, in itself, generate hope.

COP 30 and the Amazon: Indigenous Voices and Deforestation

The video shifts focus to the upcoming COP 30 climate talks in Brazil, emphasizing the significance of holding the conference in the Amazon, a vital but threatened ecosystem.

Threats to the Amazon:

• Deforestation: The Amazon is severely threatened by deforestation, driven by real estate developers seeking to exploit the land.
• Impact on Indigenous Communities: The region is home to hundreds of indigenous communities whose knowledge and traditions are crucial for understanding how to live in balance with nature.

Indigenous Resistance and Knowledge:

• Vander Woto: A community leader and climate activist from Manuas, near the Amazon River, exemplifies indigenous resistance. Her indigenous name, "angry ant," reflects her strength and resilience.
• Forest Listening: Woto organizes educational sessions for schoolchildren, including "forest listening" activities where participants connect with nature by hugging trees and speaking to them, seeking permission as they believe everything is alive and has a soul.
• Community as a Symbol of Resistance: Woto's community has become an ecologically protected area, symbolizing resistance against deforestation.
• Reforestation as a Fight: After land seizures, communities are forced to reforest devastated areas, demonstrating their commitment to rebuilding and reclaiming their land.
• Outlying Territories as Strongholds: Indigenous communities living in outlying territories have developed new ways of fighting and view these areas as strongholds of resistance, reaffirming their historical presence.
• Indigenous Women's Role: Indigenous women are highlighted as playing a vital role in the fight against the climate crisis, having long battled for their voices to be heard in decision-making processes.
• Displacement: Over 60% of Brazil's indigenous population lives outside their ancestral territories due to ongoing land threats.

Community-Led Solutions in Senegal

The video then moves to Senegal, showcasing the efforts of women in preserving the Mamba forest, referred to as "Senegal's Green Lung."

Bintou Wane's Initiative:

• Bintou Wane: A 70-year-old grandmother and activist, expresses skepticism about major breakthroughs at COP talks, advocating for compensation from rich countries for the pollution they cause.
• Mamba Forest Preservation: For 20 years, Wane has dedicated her efforts to preserving the Mamba forest near the village of Comb.
• Transforming Wastelands: Since 2005, she has led a group of local women in transforming barren lands into thriving vegetable gardens.
• Learning and Success: Many women in the group had no prior farming experience but learned quickly. Initial skepticism about the project's longevity has given way to requests for land from those who doubted them.
• Economic and Environmental Benefits: The women grow produce for sale, generating revenue, and protect the forest from logging, sand encroachment, and bushfires to ensure continued planting.
• Impact of Climate Change: Despite the challenges posed by changing temperatures, which negatively affect their produce and make farming increasingly difficult, the women remain determined.
• Perseverance: Wane states, "As long as we have strength and good health, we'll keep going," emphasizing their commitment to finding support and investment.

Conclusion: Innovation and Collective Action

The video concludes by emphasizing that these three women, despite their different contexts, share a common belief: tackling the climate crisis requires innovation and the collective power of people coming together to drive lasting change.