The month of March marks women’s history month. Since time immemorial women are at the forefront of demanding change through campaigning and challenging the existing status quo. As communities battle severe impacts of climate breakdown, compounded by inequality, women such as these 6 African women shaping the climate conversation are mobilising, organising and rallying for real change.

Across Africa, numerous women have emerged as formidable advocates for environmental protection, Indigenous land rights, and climate action. 

Wangari Maathai of Kenya, the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, founded the Green Belt Movement, mobilizing women to plant trees and combat deforestation.

Vanessa Nakate, a Ugandan climate activist, gained international recognition for her campaigns addressing climate change and its impacts on African communities. 

Cécile Ndjebet of Cameroon advocates for women’s land rights and forest conservation, working to empower women in natural resource management. 

Inna Modja, a Malian musician and activist, raises awareness about desertification and supports the Great Green Wall initiative aimed at restoring degraded landscapes. 

These are some of the many women taking acting for people and planet.

Statistically, women are at a higher risk of harm from climate change due to poverty, cultural norms, and gendered roles and responsibilities. Marking this year’s International Women’s Day, Greenpeace Africa held a webinar to spotlight experiences and innovative approaches from women across the African continent under the theme Accelerating Action. 

‘When women drive change we redefine what’s possible’

Opening the event, Dr. Oulie Keita, Executive Director at Greenpeace Africa shared her experience of challenges as a woman in senior leadership: “I’ve had my fair share of adversities as a woman leader, and I continue to do so. But I’ve learned that adversity is not just an obstacle. It’s a catalyst that when met with resilience and reflection can actually transform challenges into opportunities for growth and self-discovery. Our stories are not isolated as African women, they are living testament to the spirit of creativity and resilience that defines the spirit of all women across the world. Despite these powerful interventions, actions and movements by millions of women on the continent, the journey to gender equality remains long. By shifting our perspective we realise our adversity is not an insurmountable barrier but a spark for creativity and transformation. Through policy reform, digital innovation and community-driven activities we can convert climate challenges into catalysts for growth and resilience. When women lead these transformations, they not only drive change they redefine what’s possible.”

Cultivating a generation of young women climate leaders who see opportunities rather than barriers

In a world where we have lots of barriers to enter work in the climate justice space, one of the keys is to start from our position and our context, said panelist Jennifer Olachi Uchendu, founder of Sasty Vibes, a youth-led organisation, advancing sustainability, advocacy, and implementation across Africa: “It is very important to identify what your power is, what you can do and how you contribute. From my experience, it’s been allowing people to experiment, try things out and fail forward. It’s also been important to bring in more experienced women and experts, to enable mentorship and continue to encourage young people. The barriers that we face as young people – access to funding, tokenism, adultism, silencing of our voice, toxic working conditions, unfavorable local policies – are all valid, but they’re also invitations for us to be creative with solutions. These barriers in this space are valid, but they are also opportunities and offerings for us to challenge ourselves and to bring viable solutions from the continent. More so, women need support beyond International Women’s Day. Women need to be at the forefront of decision making everyday.”

Dr. Susan Chomba, a Kenyan environmentalist leading efforts in landscape restoration and sustainable agriculture, emphasised the role of local communities in climate resilience: “It’s on us, those for whom doors have already opened, to create opportunities for more young African women to become scientists, researchers and leaders. In defining the challenges as well as the solutions for food systems, for nature and for climate. I know research is important. But for Africa we also need a lot of action. And for climate change, we need action urgently. So whether it’s driving finance, whether it’s driving policy, whether it’s empowering women into spaces, their voices being heard is absolutely crucial.

African women shaping Africa’s energy future

“We cannot solve a global crisis while excluding most of the world from the conversation,” said Cynthia Moyo, climate and energy campaign lead at Greenpeace Africa. “Women and girls are disproportionately impacted by decisions on energy and poverty, as well as in the design and delivery of energy solutions. The gender gap in the energy sector means that women’s perspectives, needs and experiences are often overlooked in the development of policies and technologies. Closing this gender gap ensures that we have equal participation of women which is really crucial to the sustainable and equitable energy transition that we need.”

Grassroots movements often start with resistance, but evolve into powerful forces for change. Nonhle Mbuthuma, founder of the Amadiba Crisis Committee, a courageous and passionate leader from the wild coast area of the Eastern Cape in South Africa shared how their community is achieving change:

“We face quite a lot of so-called mega projects in Amadiba. These megaprojects in the guise of development actually come with land exploitation in our communities. They disrespect nature where our communities live. In our case they discovered titanium and with it came the crapping of our land. As a community we mobilised to build on civil education. By informing our communities, we raised awareness. Our communities now question so-called development to avoid being misled and easily given false information. We ensure that communities are more advanced in terms of information. Our target is women in the community because they are at the forefront when it comes to land. Land is a mother as it is something that feeds us. When you destroy the land you destroy the mother.”

Digital resources to scale impact in climate leadership 

“We have 3 billion people who do not have access to the Internet. That is not acceptable because most of these are women, children and rural populations,” said Priscilla Chomba, Chief Technology Officer at Greenpeace International. “The real challenge is that we’re missing out on their knowledge. We’re missing out a lot on what they know, what they understand, what we could learn from. We have to advocate for people to be included. On top of expanding internet access, which mostly is in the hands of governments, regulators and service providers, we also need to understand how to provide tailored training and support. So people have access to technologies and know how to use them, making sure that these technologies are context specific. There’s a lot that we can share through partnerships and collaborations. We understood climate change before it had a name. We understood how to exist with our ecosystems and do agriculture in sustainable ways.”

There is no denying the impacts and challenges to communities and the ecosystems posed by climate change, but there is hope in action and the possibility of change is imaginable. As African women working for climate justice, we’re motivated by these and many other women around the world who are turning their concerns on climate impacts into opportunities for innovation, empowerment, and global solidarity. 

Sherie Gakii is a Communications & Storytelling Manager Greenpeace Africa and Safina Okumu is a Content Editor at Greenpeace International