Dear Community,

On this International Women’s Day, we honor the leadership, resilience, and unwavering commitment of women in all of their diversity worldwide, who are at the forefront of the fight for climate justice, gender justice, human rights, democracy, and a world liberated from authoritarian, colonial regimes. Since its inception by labor and revolutionary movements in the early 1900s, International Women’s Day has been a moment to uplift the lasting impact of women-led movements. And, on this occasion, we honor the lineage of matriarchs who have fought for the rights we have today—rights that are now facing renewed and growing attacks. The struggle is not new, and we can gain strength and wisdom from those who have led before us and from movements around the world.

We recognize the fire that we carry within each of us— a fire fueled by a love so fierce and beautiful that it endures and burns stronger in the face of growing tyrannical agendas. In a world shaken by environmental destruction and social injustices, women continue to rise, to resist, to heal, and to lead movements and solutions for an equitable and thriving planet. Together, we are continuing to build pathways forward, standing strong in our collective love and strength as we denounce division and oppressive systems.

Across the globe, women and gender-diverse leaders are protecting forests, waters, food systems, and lands; advancing policies that uphold human rights and ecological balance; and standing against extractive industries that threaten communities and ecosystems. Our leadership is not only essential—it is transformative, offering solutions rooted in care, collaboration, justice, joy, and stability.

Today, we also uplift the vital and often dangerous work of women land defenders, many of whom face persecution, violence, and criminalization for protecting their lands and peoples. We stand in solidarity with women resisting environmental destruction as well as with those facing war, displacement, and human rights violations. There is no climate justice without human rights. There is no future without the leadership of women in all of their diversity and frontline communities.

As we recognize International Women’s Day, we are doubling down on our commitment and action. We thank you, our amazing community, for your efforts! Whether through amplifying women-led climate solutions, supporting feminist movements, engaging in the fight for democratic governance, or advocating for systemic change, we all have a role to play in building a just and thriving world. We invite you to explore this newsletter for ways to engage, support, and uplift women for climate justice.

Please join us from June 23-28 for the WECAN Global Women’s Assembly for Climate Justice: Path to COP30 and Beyond! This event is a free, public forum taking place virtually in June 2025 - all are welcome!

​The Global Women’s Assembly for Climate Justice will bring together grassroots and frontline women leaders, global advocates, thought leaders, and policy-makers to showcase a diverse array of visions, projects, policy frameworks, campaigns, and movement strategies with which we can accelerate a bold and transformative path to a healthy and just world. This collective work is paramount as we face a growing polycrisis. While global challenges are ever-increasing, so are our power and leadership when we gather together.

The virtual Assembly serves as a convening to support collective calls to action in the lead-up to COP30 and beyond, and is designed to generate ongoing networks of action regionally and by campaign focus for the years to come. We will tie these networks into existing women's and feminist formations as our collective movement for women’s climate leadership is growing.

RSVP down below and check out our website for further information, including confirmed speakers and the Assembly agenda!

Members of the WECAN Reforestation and ​F​orest Protection Project tend to tree saplings grown in plant nurseries to transplant in reforestation areas in Sarayaku, Ecuador. Photo Credit: WECAN 2025

In April 2024, we launched the Indigenous Women of the Ecuadorian Amazon Reforestation and ​Forest Protection Project, spearheaded by WECAN Ecuador Coordinator Patricia Gualinga​ (Kichwa), ​along with Sabine Bouchat​ and the Women’s Association of Sarayaku. The project is safeguarding the Ecuadorian Amazon’s endemic tree species within the 135,000 hectares of Sarayaku territory to ensure vital ecological integrity. Recognizing the urgent need to protect the Amazon Rainforest from deforestation and extractive industries, Indigenous women are taking proactive measures to defend their homelands, supported by the vision of the Kawsak Sacha (Living Forest) Declaration, which emphasizes the importance of maintaining a relationship based on respect and reciprocity between human beings and beings of the forest.

​By engaging women from seven communities within Sarayaku, this WECAN initiative aims to recover endemic tree species currently facing extinction and regenerate forest ecosystems. Implemented as a network system, women in the program travel great distances into remote areas and primary forests, meticulously locating and collecting a diverse range of tree species essential to the forest's overall integrity and the well-being of its inhabitants. The project prioritizes the collection of tree species on the brink of extinction as well as species that provide edible fruit for both humans and jungle animals, fostering food security for communities and sustaining wildlife populations. This project also focuses on recovering tree species with cultural, symbolic, and spiritual significance to the Indigenous peoples of Sarayaku. By preserving these species, the initiative not only safeguards the Amazon Rainforest and traditional knowledge and practices, but also ensures access to essential resources for community well-being and resilience.

Members of the WECAN Reforestation and ​F​orest Protection Project travel by canoe to collect fertilizer for plant nurseries (left) and sort the collected seeds to sow in plant nurseries (right) in Sarayaku, Ecuador.

Photo Credit: WECAN 2025

The women participating in this initiative have made significant strides in advancing reforestation goals. Ninety-eight nursery beds have been constructed across ​the seven communities​ within Sarayaku. To date, over 100 different plant species have been collected, with plans to continue adding species based on their seasonal fruiting cycles. The women have already planted over ​90,000 seeds across their community nurseries. Many of these trees have begun to sprout​ and have been transplant​ed into reforestation areas ​within the Sarayaku territory. 

A key aspect of this project is its commitment to ​​Traditional Ecological Knowledge and sustainability practices. Unlike many ​r​eforestation efforts that rely on plastics—such as nursery pots, ​protective plant guards, or seed collection bags—this project has taken a plastic-free approach. Traditional basket weavers in Sarayaku ​craft​ed specialized bags (chigras) and baskets (ashangas) made from plant fibers for women participants to use in seed collection​. This not only reduces plastic waste but also provides a sustainable income for the community’s women artisans, helping to preserve their traditional craft.​ Also, during tree distribution and transplanting, the women collect tree saplings in broad leaves that they tie together to form bags. 

The project is a powerful testament to the strength and leadership of the ​Indigenous women of Sarayaku in protecting their forests and their way of life.  

Members of the WECAN Reforestation and ​F​orest Protection Project travel deep into the Amazonian jungle in Sarayaku, Ecuador to collect tree seeds. Photo Credit: WECAN 2025

This year, the Amazonian Women Defenders of the Jungle (Mujeres Amazónicas Defensoras de la Selva) is organizing for International Women's Day, celebrating and reaffirming the power and knowledge of women in the Amazon region. This year’s event series brings together local and Indigenous women leaders of various ages, fostering an inclusive and intergenerational environment. Taking place in Ecuador from March 8-16, over 100 Indigenous women and girls will participate in forums, workshops, artistic performances, marches, exhibition fairs, press interviews, and knowledge exchanges. Activities will focus on the impact of deforestation in Indigenous communities, including human rights and the rights of nature. WECAN is honored to co-sponsor and support this vital gathering. To learn more about the events, please follow Mujeres Amazonicas on social media.

On February 28, the 6th International Rights of Nature Tribunal hosted its second session of a three-part tribunal. This session focused on “The Impacts of Mining and The Post-Extractivism Era,” and took place in Toronto, Canada. At the Tribunal, frontline leaders and expert witnesses shared powerful testimonies for eight different case studies highlighting the impacts and threats of mining in their communities and territories. 

Cases from Chile, Argentina, Canada, Brazil, Serbia, and Ecuador demonstrated how mining companies, predominantly based in Canada, are violating Nature’s rights, Indigenous rights, and human rights. Rights of Nature was shown to be an effective framework for resisting mining efforts. The Tribunal also explored the dangers of green extractivism and how mining for minerals like lithium, copper, and cobalt— used in renewable energy products— comes at a devastating cost to people and ecosystems. It was recognized that while humanity needs an energy transition off fossil fuels, the transition must respect and care for communities and the Earth. Watch a recording of the Tribunal here.

The Tribunal judges deliberated after hearing each case and ruled that these cases are in violation of the Rights of Nature and pose a threat to the well-being of communities, nature, and our global climate. You can read the Tribunal recommendations here. The judgments from both sessions will be presented as part of a unified proposal: The “New Pact with Mother Earth”, at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025.

Tribunal President Heather Milton Lightening concluded the session by stating: "When I think about Just Transition, it should be just and not sacrifice anyone. We should be calling for a transformative justice process, one that includes all people."

The Tribunal coincided with the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Conference, a flagship mining industry event, and cast a critical spotlight on the role of Canadian mining companies in global mining injustices. These companies have played a major part in displacing Indigenous communities, contributing to biodiversity crises, and contaminating ecosystems. This Tribunal exposed the extractive industries that are intertwined within the same destructive system, and called for immediate justice for nature and communities.

At the Tribunal, Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, discussed the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels and how that transition must occur based on climate justice principles and rights-based frameworks to avert further harms to communities and ecosystems. She also presented the campaign for "A Global Initiative for a Universal Declaration on the Rights of Nature: Pathways to Establish a Mechanism for Endorsement and Adoption by World Governments." WECAN is honored to co-organize and co-sponsor the Rights of Nature Tribunals and sit on the GARN Executive Committee.

“This is how we used to live,

this is how we can live again.”

Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation)

Environmental Ambassador for the Ponca Nation and WECAN Board Member

This winter, Casey Camp-Horinek, WECAN Board Member and Project Coordinator, is sharing videos of the Earthen Lodge, Mo(n)-ē-tē, on Instagram. The videos share the origins behind the Lodge, ceremonial teachings and uses, and how the Lodge is creating healthy and sustainable food and medicines for current and future generations in a region where the water and soil has been poisoned by extractive industries for decades. 

As a project of the WECAN Food Sovereignty and Food Security Program, the Earthen Lodge supports the integration of traditional ecological practices for restoring the land, feeding communities, and adapting to the climate crisis.

After the forced removal of the Ponca Nation from their ancestral lands, this is now the first ever Earthen Lodge built in Oklahoma, and the first one built in over 150 years. WECAN greatly appreciates the opportunity to collaborate in the creation of this Lodge, a symbol of how we can learn from Indigenous knowledge to build a climate resilient future in balance with nature. Learn more about the Ponca Earth Lodge Project on the WECAN website and in this project announcement video.

The Earthen Lodge in fall (left) and summer (right). Edible and structural native plants grow on the outside of the Earthen Lodge as part of the WECAN Earthen Lodge Project for Food Sovereignty in Ponca Nation, Oklahoma. Photo Credit: WECAN

This year, WECAN will be engaging in the upcoming UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), taking place March 10-21, 2025.

This annual convening is a critical forum for advancing gender equality and women's rights worldwide, bringing together governments, UN agencies, and civil society to shape policies and commitments that impact women and girls everywhere. This year will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995 and a cornerstone of international gender policy.

WECAN will be on the ground to advocate and bring attention to the vital intersections of climate justice, democracy, and women's leadership. Now, more than ever, we are showing up to demonstrate the transformative solutions of women around the world fighting for climate action and just solutions for people and planet. CSW provides an essential platform for amplifying these messages, advocating for policies that center justice and equity, and holding governments accountable to their commitments.

Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, will be speaking at events, and will be joined by Jillianne Lyon, WECAN Policy Coordinator, for strategy sessions with partners and colleagues to discuss plans for action within and outside the UN. 

CSW EVENT: Building Game - Changing Partnerships

March 13, 2025, 2:00 - 3:30PM Eastern Time

Location: Pier 57, NYC

Open to the general public, please join us!

​Let’s spark collaborations that push boundaries. This day is all aboutcreating tangible, impactful partnerships that will fuel the next wave of local global change. Speakers include Jacqueline Patterson, Osprey Orielle Lake, and Jean Shinoda Bolen M.D.

Look for more coverage during CSW on our Instagram and Facebook pages!

In 2022, WECAN, in affiliation with the UC Davis ModLab, delivered a presentation at the Scenarios Forum on how gender equity regarding women's leadership, agency, and political and social participation throughout society significantly reduces CO2 emissions. Watch the presentation here.

The Scenarios Forum is a conference bringing together climate scientists, social scientists, and energy systems modelers engaged in developing the Shared Socio-Economic Pathways (SSPs), which are a set of predictive climate models and data that inform reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

WECAN recently learned that, having reviewed our presentation, these scientific communities have been working diligently to develop new models that include demonstrating the impact of gender equity upon emissions. You can see this inclusion in the SSP Extensions Explorer (pictured below), a framework for the next generation of climate models!

Researchers from the UC Davis ModLab found that the WECAN presentation was central to ensuring gender was included in this round of SSPs. When reading through the Scenarios Forum organizers' summary, it was clear that the decision to evaluate gender and climate was based upon the content of our session.

As we see continued attacks on climate science and data, we are excited to share this news with our community. These are the long-term wins needed to improve gender-disaggregated data and ultimately uplift the significant contributions of women and gender diverse leaders across the globe. Gender equality is a climate solution, and with this addition to climate modeling we will have a better understanding of how gender equality is reducing emissions, and how exactly we can create public policies and support that ensure improved conditions for women and gender-expansive people.

Demand Polluter Accountability in California

The fossil fuel industry has known for decades that coal, oil, and gas are driving the climate crisis, yet they continue to expand and pollute waterways, ecosystems, and communities globally. In California, we've seen unnatural disasters worsen with this year's wildfires already causing an estimated $250 billion in destruction. Recognizing the deep need for state-level leadership to stop the harms of climate disasters and reign in fossil fuel expansion, communities are calling for strong laws in California that hold polluters accountable.

Right now, California lawmakers have an opportunity to hold polluters accountable with the Affordable Insurance & Climate Recovery Act, the Polluters Pay Climate Cost Recovery Act, and the newly introduced Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act. These laws can set a precedent for climate action and fund recovery efforts in the wake of climate-fueled disasters.

Please consider signing this petition to make polluters pay! Our communities should not bear the burden of the destruction caused by fossil fuel companies, especially as they continue to reap massive profits.

Calling for an End of Fossil Fuels at CERAWeek

Communities are taking action in March to call for an end of fossil fuel extraction during CERAWeek, a major event for global fossil fuel corporations. WECAN will be on the ground with frontline communities and a number of organizations confronting this conference at a time when corporations are preparing for further oil and gas expansion. Our demands? No more sacrifice zones. No more false solutions. No more fossil fuels. Yes to Just Transition.

S&P Global’s annual energy conference, CERAWeek, claims to advance “solutions to the biggest challenges facing the future of energy, the environment, and climate.” But CERAWeek’s stage will feature many of the world’s biggest polluters.

There will be several events throughout the week of March 10. Please find more details at this link!

Stop Line 5 Updates

This year WECAN is continuing our advocacy to stop the Line 5 pipeline, which is currently operating past its anticipated lifespan, transporting 22 million gallons of crude oil each day through northern Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and under the Straits of Mackinac. Line 5 violates Indigenous sovereignty and threatens one-fifth of the world’s surface freshwater. Currently, communities are fighting to shut down the existing pipeline and stop the proposed tunnel expansion project.

There are several court cases in both Wisconsin and Michigan seeking to stop the pipeline and the expansion project indefinitely, and this week we are sharing a new update on one of these ongoing cases. An administrative law judge issued an order extending the stay in Wisconsin, which prohibits Enbridge from starting construction work on the Line 5 reroute while the contested case proceeds. Learn more about this case update here.

An expansion of Line 5 puts at risk the water of millions of people who are reliant on the Great Lakes region for their livelihoods and economies. WECAN is continuing our work in this area and we are honored to facilitate and organize with the Indigenous Women’s Treaty Alliance. We remain unwavering in our commitment to shut down Line 5 permanently and protect communities, water, and our global climate!

Please consider supporting WECAN as we continue to uplift the leadership and solutions of women worldwide fighting for climate justice and the defense of the planet for current and future generations.