By Nicole Schmitt
Recent events in Central America have highlighted the dangerous world of environmental activists. As civil society shrinks across the globe, activists have less room to operate in. But, even as female environmental activists are increasingly victimized, women in China are not backing down. In fact, they are expanding their role in civil society.
Throughout China women are creating a “conservation culture.” Pollution, poor air quality, and the changing environment effect women more than men. For example, most farmers in China are women. As crops are harder to grow, these women lose their livelihood. Women are also plagued by infertility, spontaneous abortion, stillbirths, and birth defects as environmental degradation increases.
But, as women are creating coalitions across civil society the Chinese government is cracking down. In just over a year, over 200 activists and lawyers have been interrogated for crimes against the state for protesting sexual harassment on public transportation to providing women legal aid.
While gender may be tied to an increasingly criminalized civil society space in China, funding for gender and environment projects aligns with many of China’s national directives to expand gender equality in the country, and furthers the nation’s efforts in their “war on pollution”. In fact, the most recent draft of China’s debated Charity Law specifically enables charitable organizations to continue work in environmental protection as an activity “consistent with societal public interest.”
Mao Zedong declared, “Women hold half the sky.” We must continue to support the work of women around the world and amplify their voices. Indeed, without women, the sky will surely fall.
Download Climate Justice and Women’s Rights: A Guide to Supporting Grassroots Women’s Action. And join the conversation by tweeting with us at #WomenAndClimate.
Photo Credit: Luk Kit-ling