Women are differentially impacted by climate change
From intimately understanding weather cycles to growing more than 50% of the world’s food, to being on the frontlines of climate disaster relief efforts, women are living with climate change in ways that make them strong experts1. When they have a platform and capital to fuel their efforts, their climate-related innovations have has boundless potential for economies.
Including women in building solutions can reduce the impact of climate change. We know women play significant and growing roles in the global agricultural sector, investing in women could significantly increase food security and improve livelihoods for everyone.
Studies have also shown that female leaders are able to prioritize long-term strategy above short-term gain
Nowhere is this clearer than in the fight against climate change. The impact of women’s leadership on climate will be a cleaner, more sustainable environment, as well as stronger financial returns for investors.
Women are more likely to focus on sustainability in a variety of different capacities
60% of women want to work for firms that care about sustainability compared with 38% of men5. When boards have three or more active female members, their companies have more consistent climate-related disclosures, and a better track record of developing policies and methods for addressing climate change6.
At WoWE, we are building an investment portfolio aligned with our values
We advise into and learn from investment tools builders to ensure the companies and funds we invest in do not engage in the fossil fuel industry and contribute to deforestation. We also invest at the intersection of gender and climate through our investments. Examples include Urban Innovation Fund, a women-led venture capital firm investing in climate interventions; like Kyte, a company reducing car ownership through sharing and renting while promoting physical safety.
1. Balgis Osman-Elasha, “Women…In The Shadow of Climate Change,” United Nations (United Nations), accessed December 19, 2021.
2. “New Study Lays Out Opportunities to Slash Land-Based GHG Emissions from Forests, Farming, and Consumer Behavior,” Project Drawdown, October 13, 2021, https://drawdown.org/news/insights/new-study-lays-out-opportunities-to-slash-land-based-ghg-emissions-from-forests; Stephanie Roe et al.,
3. “Land-Based Measures to Mitigate Climate Change: Potential and Feasibility by Country,” Global Change Biology 27 (2021): 6025–58.
4. “The Female Face of Farming.” WomenRising2030,
5. “Better Leadership, Better World: Women Leading for the Global Goals.”
6. “Gender Diversity and Climate Innovation” (The Sasakawa Peace Foundation, December 1, 2020), 8.