international women’s day 2022: the women inspiring us every day
Happy international Women’s Day! Today and every day, we celebrate the inspirational women that drive the continuation of work towards a better future. These are just some of the women who contribute to positive change by fighting for causes close to their heart, whilst inspiring those who are on the journey with them.
Creatives
Aditi Mayer @aditimayer
Aditi Mayer is a multi-faceted digital creator who specialises in the use of photojournalism to share her thoughts on social and environmental justice. With a focus on encouraging sustainability within fashion industry, Aditi has worked to become an influential speaker by serving on the councils of Intersectional Environmentalist and State of Fashion. This year, she’s also taken on the role as a National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellow, where she will be going to India to document the social and environmental effects of the fashion industry there.
Alice Aedy @aliceaedy
Activist Alice Aedy is a film maker determined to make a difference. Documenting the human impacts of the climate crisis, Alice works to tell their stories in a creative but powerful way. In conjunction with this, Alice co-founded Earthrise, a creative studio communicating climate information straight from the front line. She believes communication is the most powerful tool in tackling social and environmental issues, and hopes that her storytelling will be the catalyst to both imagining and creating a better world.
Food & Regenerative Agriculture
Poppy Okotcha @poppyokotcha
Poppy Okotcha is an ecologically focussed horticulturist and forager, endeavouring to keep soil health at the heart of everything she does. She’s currently designing and cultivating a regenerative edible and medicinal forest garden, which taps in to her philosophy that understanding where our food comes from is a direct route to creating a stronger personal relationship with nature.
Renée Peters @renee.elizabethpeters
An ambassador for sustainable living, Renee Peters offers a genuine approach to leading an environmentally conscious life and articulates her thoughts and experiences in the most beautiful of ways. Paying close attention to regenerative agriculture and best land practices, Renee is documenting her time as a medicinal gardening apprentice and sharing the experiences that have led her to become more optimistic about the future of our planet.
Environmental Justice & Activism
Leah Thomas @greengirlleah
Leah Thomas is an eco-communicator with a passion for creativity and writing. Through her work, she explores and advocates relationships between environmental and social justice, focusing on being optimistic about the future of our planet. Leah also founded The Intersectional Environmentalist platform, a climate justice community and resource hub which centres around people of colour and historically excluded voices.
Dr Jane Goodall @janegoodallinst
Spanning over her 60 year career, Dr Jane Goodall has been working to bring awareness to and fight environmental issues across the globe. Her self-titled Institute is a global organization on a conservation mission, aiming to help as many animals, ecosystems and communities thrive for as long as possible through extensive pioneering research missions. She’s also a UN Messenger of Peace and a mentor for young women through her Roots & Shoots youth program.
Educators
Venetia La Manna @venetialamanna
Not afraid to voice her opinion on important matters, campaigner and broadcaster Venetia La Manna is dedicated to creating a better future for garment workers through activism and education. Through the organisation of protests, Venetia aims to bring awareness to subjects such as the underpaying of garment workers and over-production within the fashion industry. She also utilises her podcast series’ Remember Who Made Them and All The Small Things to be a thought leader for global change, publicly challenging fast fashion brands on their social and environmental impact.
Olia Hercules @oliahercules
Ukrainian chef and writer Olia Hercules has used her platform to raise awareness and funds for the people of Ukraine during the conflict in their country. Most of Olia’s family remains in the Ukraine, including her mother and father, so the cause is especially close to her heart. Based in London, Olia co-founded Cook for Ukraine, a movement that shares traditional Ukrainian cuisine to raise money for those worst affected by the current disputes – so far, the initiative has raised over £92,000 for charities supporting Ukrainians.
Stories Behind Things @storiesbehindthings
Founded by Jemma Finch, Stories Behind Things is a women-led storytelling platform focused on shedding light on sustainability, climate and mindful consumption, sharing news that may sometimes not be found in mainstream media. The Stories Behind Things blog and social feed provide informative commentary and tips that are always lead with optimism. A must follow.
Sustain The Mag @sustainthemag
Founder of ethical media platform Sustain The Mag, Reza Cristian has a passion for sharing ways we can all build a fairer future from the ground upwards. Keeping inclusivity at the heart of everything it does, Sustain The Mag is a women-of-colour founded independent media site which distributes free education and inspiring stories around social and environmental injustice. In doing this, their main goal is to shift the sustainability narrative in the media, something we think they’re definitely excelling at.
Chicks for Climate @chicksforclimate
The Chicks for Climate Instagram page is where feminism and environmental activism collide, founded by Nergiz De Baere. Producing enticing educational graphics, the team at Chicks for Climate create content that causes a butterfly effect – small actions which develop into big changes.
