Closely tied to nature and the land through their work and the roles they play in their day-to-day life, women are important drivers of change when it comes to protecting the environment. Strong, committed and inspiring, they are hard at work in the field, paving the way for a host of similarly committed women tree planters who share their vision... Without them, we would never have planted 100 million trees.
Planting in the footsteps of Wangari Maathai
Wangari Maathai is a tree planter and the patron of the “Plant for the Planet” campaign run by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Following in her footsteps, countless women across the globe are striving to defend our trees.
Anne-Elisabeth in Burkina Faso, Irène and Ruhama in Ethiopia, Sylvie in France… Several of them have received the Terre de Femmes* award from the Yves Rocher Foundation, and are members of the community of award winners. The Plant for the Planet programme has proved to be a valuable way of amplifying the planting schemes initiated by these determined women.
You don’t know what to do for the planet ? At least, plant a tree. – Wangari Maathai
These committed women are working to support reforestation in Ethiopia
Following in the footsteps of Irène Pfister-Hauri, the founder of Green Ethiopia, another passionate young woman has left her mark, through her incredible strength and vision. Ruhama Getahun, who comes from the Southern region of Ethiopia, is leading the battle to reforest the region. With support from the Green Ethiopia Foundation, Ruhama has also earned recognition for her work through the Terre de Femmes award from the Yves Rocher Foundation.
Ruhama, whose values are aligned with those of Green Ethiopia, focuses her efforts on reforesting poor-quality soil, combatting hunger and improving the life of local families.
Active women = developed country
What is the secret of Ruhama’s powerful vision ? Getting women involved. In 2013, she created a cooperative of women in Dila named Integrated Women’s Development. One of the primary goals of this cooperative is to get women actively involved in local tree nurseries.
Long live tree feminism!
Ethiopian women brought together by the cooperative receive training in agroforestry techniques, which gives them the means of boosting their income and feeding their families.
A great example of the work carried out by Green Ethiopia which, as in the other regions, strives to overhaul the landscape in areas on the brink of obliteration. Make no mistake about it – trees are a synonym of life!
*A programme run by the Yves Rocher Foundation, providing support to women who take action to protect biodiversity. Several prizes are awarded every year in 15 countries.
Find out more: https://www.yves-rocher-fondation.org/en/terre-de-femmes/
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