Support Women, Support Sustainability

Guest Post by Cassandra J. Carlson and Lauren Rabaino Cassandra J. Carlson and Lauren Rabaino are journalism students at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and guest contributors to Tonic.

Earlier this month Tonic recognized International Women's Day, and some of the men who are stepping up for women's rights around the world.

March is also Women's History Month, and as it comes to a close, it's crucial to recognize the issues that impact women in our local, national and global communities. This year's Women's History Month theme, Women Taking the Lead to Save the Planet, is also a call for equality and empowerment.

It's a time to pay tribute to women like Rachel Carson, a Women's History Month honoree and author whose works, including Silent Spring, made her a leader of the environmental movement. But the importance of Women's History Month goes beyond remembering those who have made a difference and into helping future generations to make a difference.

In early March, thousands of young activists protested and blocked access to the coal-fired power plant which sits near Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and lobbied politicians for clean energy and to reform energy practices. That same energy exhibited in Washington, D.C., should be brought to empower women all over the world.

So what do environmental activism and women's issues have in common? More than you might think. One of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals is to ensure environmental sustainability by 2015. Another is to make significant strides in gender equality. Since women are directly involved in gathering natural resources for their families, especially in impoverished communities, infrastructural reform is a key step in helping them achieve sustainability.

The nation and world are rethinking the actions and consequences of non-renewable energy sources. Pushing sustainable development options can be done effectively by financing women directly.

What you can do for others

Micro-financing organizations such as Kiva allow individuals and companies to lend their money to others for business ventures. For women in developing countries, it's a first step toward equality because it's giving them the opportunity to control their own financial stability.

Debora Kwaah, 55, is the mother of six children in Koforidua, Ghana and just one of many women Kiva lenders are helping. Kwaah, supports her husband as well as her youngest child who is still in school. For a living, Kwaah trades bananas and oranges bought from farmers and sold to local markets.

Members of the Women Empowering Women group funded her $525 loan in order for Kwaah to achieve her dream of funding her children's education. With the money, she was able to buy more fruit to increase her profit margin in order to send her youngest to school. Kwaah is still in the process of paying back the loan.

These financial incentives provide an alternative option for impoverished women and give them a strong voice in their communities. It can help them make changes for the future of their land and the growth of their community — both of which impact sustainability efforts.

In an economic climate of instability, impoverished communities could suffer and climate change may be overlooked due to cost restrictions. That's why this issue is so important; it's a global challenge that men and women, as well as their respective nations, will have to take on — and the challenge is big.

Small steps toward sustainability

Creating change can be easy, and can start at home. The simple use of products like cloth napkins, reusable utensils, reusable shopping bags and water bottles all can decrease our impact on the earth.

During an economic crunch it's sometimes difficult to make small changes. But if we don't help now, we will pay later. Eventually, the economic downturn will right itself. Like the struggling banks, the environment can't fix itself without our help.

Photo of Debora Kwaah from Kiva.org.