Supporting Women To Solve Our Big Environmental Ch allenges

Ashoka, Contributor

Comment Now Follow Comments

Its a textbook case of the tragedy of the commons: farmers, municipalities, and water and electric companies around the world have freely drawn water from local rivers. Over time, residents are finding their water quantity and quality degradedbecause of these many unchecked demands on the watershed. Places like West Africa, California, and Brazil are experiencing severe droughts

too, weakening an already stressed water supply and raising food prices for vulnerable populations. Clearly, we can no longer take such an abundant resource for granted. How can we work together to protect our vital water supplies?

Marta Echavarra has an idea. Shes helping communities figure out how to pay for the conservation of the watersheds they depend on. With Ashokas support, she scaled up a funding model that involves the participation of all water users public and private, upstream and downstream, across all sectors. My work is to find a way to

finance the conservation of our natural infrastructure, Marta says, and value the services we call them environmental services or ecosystem services that nature provides. Martas model has inspired other social entrepreneurs, and now nearly $10 billion is invested in similar water markets around the world. The world is facing unprecedented environmental challenges and we need social entrepreneurs like Marta to bring new ideas to light (and to scale) before its too late.

Rachel Carson (photo courtesy of genatural.com)

But more than that, recent studies indicate that it might be particularly important for us to identify women leaders who can pioneer environmental solutions. Kevin Samy, writing in the Yale Journal of International Affairs, found a strong correlation between a societys ability to adapt to climate change and its gender equality: In countries with problematic gender inequality issues, the institutionalized suppression of

intellectual, experiential, and other climate-resilience-building resources that women possess amount to about 50 percent of untapped potential (i.e. half the population).

The United Nations echoes this reality: Women play a pivotal role in natural resources management and in other productive and reproductive activities at the household and community levels. This puts them in a position to contribute to livelihood strategies adapted to changing environmental realities. Women are poised to offer solutions, but they arent always getting the support they need to take their concepts to the next

level. Pat Mitchell, president and CEO of The Paley Center for Media, identified five organizations that offer fellowships for social entrepreneurs that have seen a sharp decrease in the number of women applicants in recent years. In some domestic fellowship classes, women comprise only 17 percent of students. The situation is no better in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors: a 20 percent participation rate for women in leadership roles seems to be the threshold of acceptability in the U.S., whether its Congress, a corporate boardroom or the Csuite of leading charities. This is harmful not just for women, but for all of us.

Thats why Rachels Network and Ashoka are teaming up to uncover environmental innovation and promote women like Marta who are pioneering solutions. Our collaboration will focus exclusively on identifying and supporting women entrepreneurs who are addressing our most serious environmental challenges, such as climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, food security, and environmental health impacts. Lets ensure women visionaries get the support they need to change the world. We cant do it without them. Ashoka and Rachels Network a community of women who come together at the intersection of environment, philanthropy, and womens leadershipare looking for women who have the

creativity and skill to address the problem at a national level, who are working full-time to develop this idea and are passionate about realizing big impact. Are you or do you know a woman who has a great systems-changing idea that addresses an environmental challenge? See the selection criteria for more about who makes a great candidate, and submit your nomination through Ashokas online form. This article was written by Erica Flock, principal at Negwegon Communications.
Lien vers larticle :!http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashoka/2014/04/03/supportingwomen-to-solve-our-big-environmental-challenges/