Women: Pioneers in Nature Defense – How They Shaped the Environmental Protection Movement

In tribute to women, on the occasion of International Women's Day…

In a world where environmental crises are intensifying, women are particularly vulnerable due to a combination of socio-economic and cultural factors. In many societies, they bear the responsibility for managing natural resources essential to subsistence, such as water, fertile soil, and forests. This role places them at the forefront of climate change impacts, including droughts, floods, and desertification, which hinder access to resources and exacerbate existing inequalities. For instance, according to the United Nations, women—especially in the Global South—spend an average of 200 million hours per day collecting water, a burden that grows heavier as water sources dry up due to rising temperatures and deforestation. Furthermore, environmental disasters increase the risk of forced displacement and gender-based violence, further deepening their vulnerability. Women’s heightened dependence on balanced ecosystems makes them particularly exposed to ecological crises, yet it also grants them extensive knowledge of sustainable management practices—expertise that is often marginalized in political and economic decision-making.

Women are the first and most vulnerable group to global warming

Historically, women have played a central role in environmental preservation due to their involvement in agriculture, traditional medicine, and household economies. These responsibilities have led them to closely observe natural cycles and develop essential ecological knowledge. Unlike industrial models of intensive exploitation—often driven by male-dominated logics of unlimited growth and resource extraction—women’s practices have promoted holistic approaches rooted in sustainability and regeneration. Let us now explore some of these historical roles played by women.

The Historical Role of Women in Environmental Activism

The historical role of women in environmental protection is deeply rooted in ecological and social struggles across the world. As early as the 19th century, women played a significant role in conserving natural resources and denouncing environmental abuses, although their contributions have often been underestimated.

One of the most notable early female-led environmental movements was the Chipko movement in India during the 1970s. Inspired by local traditions of respecting nature, these village women engaged in tree-hugging protests (chipko means “to cling” in Hindi) to prevent large-scale deforestation carried out by companies illegally exploiting forests. This movement, led by figures such as Gaura Devi, not only safeguarded thousands of hectares of forest but also highlighted the environmental consequences of unchecked economic development.

Women of the Chipko movement show their determination to fight against deforestation

In a different context, Wangari Maathai (1940–2011), a Kenyan biologist and activist, founded the Green Belt Movement in the 1970s, leading to the planting of more than 50 million trees across Africa. Her initiative extended beyond reforestation; it also aimed to empower women by providing them with economic opportunities and involving them in the sustainable management of natural resources. Her efforts earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, a rare distinction for an environmental activist.

Ms Wangari Maathai won the Nobel Prize for her tireless efforts to protect the environment.

In the Western world, Rachel Carson (1907–1964) marked a turning point in environmental awareness with her book *Silent Spring* (1962), which revealed the dangers of pesticides like DDT to biodiversity and human health. Her work led to the banning of DDT in the United States and the establishment of

the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

These examples demonstrate that women, throughout history, have been at the forefront of ecological struggles, not only as guardians of natural resources but also as agents of social and political change. Their commitment is rooted in a long-term vision for ecosystem preservation, often intertwined with the defense of human rights, social justice, and the empowerment of marginalized communities.

Ms. Carson's book was a complete revolution in environmental activism

Feminine, It Is Nature

In many Indigenous cultures, women were the custodians of seeds and practiced agroecology long before these concepts were theorized by modern science. The connection between gender and nature protection has also been amplified by ecofeminism, which denounces the historical assimilation of nature as a resource to be exploited and women as objects of domination. Figures such as Vandana Shiva have demonstrated how patriarchal economic models have led to the destruction of ecosystems, while women, due to their traditional roles, have been the first to call for limits to extractivist excesses. This correlation between the oppression of women and the destruction of nature sheds light on why, throughout history and even today, women are often at the forefront of ecological resistance movements and calls for more ethical and balanced environmental governance.

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