Dear Community,

As the world grapples with escalating climate, social, and environmental crises, women's leadership continues to shine as a pivotal force for change. Across the globe, women in all of their diversity are at the forefront of initiatives to protect forests, halt fossil fuel dependency, implement a Just Transition, and galvanize communities into action. Their unique expertise and unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship and climate action are proving instrumental in developing just solutions that benefit communities, democracies, ecosystems, and our global climate.

Through WECAN programs, like the Women for Forests Program, we are highlighting the critical role women play in environmental protection and defense. By leading forest protection and reforestation efforts, women in the WECAN Program are not only preserving vital ecosystems but also ensuring food security and cultural continuity for their communities. This work exemplifies how women's leadership can drive meaningful action and inspire global efforts to combat climate change.

Please read through today's newsletter for inspiring updates and announcements about our ongoing Women for Forests Program, Divestment and Fossil Fuel Resistance Program, and please save the date for our upcoming Climate Week Forum in New York on September 25 — details and more below!

WECAN Reforestation and Restoration Project participants and community members in Sarayaku, Ecuador gather outside the first workshop on traditional agricultural systems and the importance of recovering tree seeds in their communities. Photo Credit: WECAN

Join us in celebrating the new WECAN Indigenous Women of the Ecuadorian Amazon Reforestation and Restoration Project, spearheaded by WECAN Ecuador Coordinator Patricia Gualinga, Sabine Bouchat, and the Women’s Association of Sarayaku. Housed within our Women for Forests Program, this vital initiative focuses on protecting the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest by recovering endangered tree species and restoring forest ecosystems. We are very honored to have Patricia Gualinga on our team as the WECAN Coordinator for Ecuador. She is a Kichwa leader from Sarayaku, Ecuador and Spokeswoman for the Amazonian Women Defenders of the Jungle (Mujeres Amazónicas Defensoras de la Selva), advocating for the protection of her territories and communities.

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, the women will 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. Forests are critical in our global efforts to mitigate the climate crisis and protect biodiversity.

The project prioritizes the collection of tree species on the brink of extinction and species that provide edible fruit for both humans and jungle animals, fostering food security for communities and sustaining wildlife populations. Furthermore, this project 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.

The project is underway, and in the last several months, women reforesters hosted their first workshop to discuss traditional agricultural systems and the importance of seed recovery within their communities. They purchased materials and began nursery construction, and are preparing to gather seeds throughout their forest territories. Please visit our website to stay connected and learn more about this exciting new project!

Left: As part of the WECAN Reforestation and Restoration Project in Sarayaku, Ecuador, project leaders met with community members for the first workshop discussing traditional agricultural systems and the importance of recovering seeds in their communities. Photo Credit: WECAN

Right: As part of the WECAN Reforestation and Restoration Project in Sarayaku, Ecuador, project leaders met with community members including Amazonian Women, the Sarayaku Governing Council, members of the Atayak Association, and members of Kuriñampi to discuss the project specifics and elect personnel. Photo Credit: WECAN

Women program participants in the Mikenge community of the Democratic Republic of Congo gathering for the tree distribution activity where they transplant saplings in damaged areas as part of the WECAN Women for Forests Program in the Itombwe region. Photo Credit: WECAN

Global forests are on the cusp of ecological collapse, due to deforestation, and industrial-scale logging, mining, and extraction that are destroying irreplaceable ecosystems— further driving the climate crisis and environmental degradation. In the face of ongoing conflict and violence against land defenders, forest destruction and extractive mining, diverse groups of women are rising.

Specifically, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, communities have endured over three decades of conflict leading to humanitarian crises such as increased violence against women and children, displacement of Indigenous and local communities, food insecurity, and more. Within the past several years, and most recently in 2024, mining has been one of the main points of extreme contention. The DR Congo houses some of the world's largest reserves of metals and transition minerals. Foreign-owned industrial mines and illegally operated mines use human trafficking, modern-day slavery, and child labor to cut labor costs and boost production. Mining expansion, especially in the Northern and Southern Kivu Provinces, where the Itombwe rainforest is located, evokes not only a constant threat of violence and atrocities, it also leads to widespread displacement and food insecurity.

Emerging from these hardships, women in the WECAN DR Congo Women for Forests Program continue to flourish, heal the land, and care for their communities.

Starting in 2014, women in South Kivu Province have been organizing through the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) to raise awareness about women’s rights and leadership; the long-term harms of extractive industries and ongoing conflict; the protection of the Itombwe rainforest in relation to climate change solutions; the importance of learning hands-on reforestation techniques; defending the rights of Indigenous Pygmy women and the local communities living in and around forest areas; renewing cultural practices connected to land respect; and promoting food security and sovereignty. This program addresses the immediate needs for ecosystem restoration, food security, and protection from gender-based violence while also strengthening the resilience and autonomy of communities in the South Kivu Province.

Women program participants of the Democratic Republic of Congo transplanting tree saplings in damaged areas as part of the WECAN Women for Forests Program in the Itombwe region. Photo Credit: WECAN

In the last year alone, over 100,000 native trees, which have medicinal, food, fuel, and reforestation purposes, were planted to regenerate clear-cut and slash and burn areas. 25% of the new growth is for human use and 75% of the planted trees are for re-wilding damaged lands. Each year, the new trees decrease the local community’s use of the Itombwe old-growth forest, which is essential for carbon sequestration and biodiversity protection. Through our program, we are protecting over 1.6 million acres of old-growth forest in the Congo Basin.

More than half a million trees have been planted so far since the project's inception— all by hand, with no machinery or equipment. There has been an 83% tree survival rate because of the dedicated work of the women reforesters. As the women continue to plant trees and ensure their survival, “wild nurseries” are emerging, meaning that native trees are regenerating themselves naturally as biome conditions stabilize due to all the trees that have been planted. The wild nursery groves are burgeoning because the trees that have been planted are reviving the moist, rain-filled biome that encourages tremendous growth. With the rains returning, the reforestation efforts are addressing drought and natural forest regeneration. Additionally, the women are monitoring and patrolling the forest protected areas to ensure no illegal logging occurs. 

One of many forested areas planted by WECAN DRC reforesters over the past 10 years. Prior to the onset of the program, this area had no foliage and was an open, drought-stricken landscape. Photo Credit: WECAN

We are so grateful to Neema Namadamu, Founder of Hero Women Rising and WECAN DR Congo Coordinator for her outstanding leadership. Neema's inspiring words highlight the critical role of the program: “The women of WECAN DR Congo are determined to change things in the Itombwe rainforest for ourselves and for the rest of the world. We are taking our stewardship of the forest seriously. We know that the difference we make not only affects our communities but also the global climate and the entire planet. We feel the weight of it all and are doing our part. To our sisters around the world, we say” We are TOGETHER!” 

Additionally, Nyantimiriza Aline, of the Bafuliru tribe from village of Ilundu, and one of the women reforesters of the WECAN Women for Forests Program, illustrates the profound impact of their work in their communities and for the forests: “It was not until I was invited to participate in this program that I learned about reforestation and the importance of not cutting trees in the forest. I now tell everyone who does not already know this, and I tell them about not cutting trees to make room for grazing. We don’t cut down any trees in the forest anymore. We realized the forests will help us in the future generations. We must leave the forests for our children. Forests are of great wealth. We are forest keepers; we look after trees like the way a shepherd looks after his cows. Now a tree has more value than a cow. The resources, support, workshops, and guidance we are receiving to plant trees and be involved in this project is of great value.” 

DR Congo Women for Forests Program leaders carry tree saplings to reforestation areas in the Itombwe region.

Photo Credit: WECAN

In order to address food insecurity in the region, WECAN initiated a Women for Food Sovereignty component of the DR Congo program in 2020, where local women care for gardens and fields located near displacement camps. With eight food cooperatives, women are growing organic food such as cabbage, carrots, eggplants, sorghum, and potatoes to support displaced communities and fight malnutrition. Through our program, over 1,200 families (many with 4+ family members) were fed in 2023, and the program has been expanding in 2024. By promoting food sovereignty and women's leadership, this program is also protecting women and children from the disproportionate violence they face in times of conflict. Supporting forest defenders is a human rights issue and a climate solution. Please visit our website to stay connected and learn more!

Food plant distribution activity in the Bidegu village of the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of the WECAN Women for Food Sovereignty and Food Security Program in the Itombwe region. Photo Credit: WECAN.

Save the date and please join us during Climate Week in New York City for an inspiring and strategic WECAN Forum, “Women on the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis: Ending the Era of Fossil Fuels and Implementing Solutions.” We welcome you to 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, on September 25 from 4:45-8:00pm ET!

During the Forum, women leaders in all their diversity will come together to share comprehensive and intersectional approaches, solutions, and strategies to stop fossil fuel extraction and to propel a Just Transition grounded in a climate justice framework. Critical topics include fossil fuel resistance; food sovereignty; forest protection; gender-responsive climate policies; Indigenous and human rights; Rights of Nature; strategic preparations for COP29 and COP30; uplifting care economies; community-led solutions; and transformative policies for our collective future. Women are leading the way for a just and healthy future for all generations!

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced the opening of a written public comment period regarding the newly released draft Environmental Assessment (EA) of Enbridge’s Line 5 Wisconsin Segment Relocation project. This project poses a grave danger to communities and ecosystems in the Great Lakes region, which is home to one-fifth of the world’s surface freshwater.

Join us in calling for the Army Corps to reject any requested permits for a Line 5 expansion project now or in the future. The Army Corps should respect and reinforce the legal decision to decommission the pipeline no later than June 2026 and to permanently shutdown this pipeline once and for all. Submit your comment at the button below!

Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline was originally built in 1953, and continues to operate nearly 20 years past its engineered lifespan, transporting 22 million gallons of crude oil each day through northern Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and under the Straits of Mackinac. This poses a grave danger to the Great Lakes region. Enbridge’s planned expansion and operation not only diverts us from our climate targets and objectives but also significantly worsens the escalating impacts of the global climate crisis.

Enbridge’s proposal to expand Line 5 comes despite the strong opposition of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and other Tribes. The new Line 5 pipeline expansion and re-route threatens local aquifers and waterways, Treaty rights, and the climate. Additionally, historical evidence demonstrates that as a result of extractive projects in and around Indigenous communities, the influx of pipeline workers and "man-camps" exacerbates the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Two-Spirit people.

Please join us in solidarity with the Indigenous Women’s Treaty Alliance to submit public comments on the Line 5 pipeline! Click the button above for more information on submitting your comment and additional resources. WECAN is honored to facilitate and support the Indigenous Women’s Treaty Alliance and to amplify the demands of the Bad River Band, please learn more about our Stop Line 5 advocacy here.

The U.S. Forest Service, under the US Department of Agriculture, is taking public comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the National Old-Growth Amendment (NOGA). NOGA aims to amend land management plans to guide old-growth forest conditions across the National Forest System. Properly implemented, this national amendment could significantly address the climate and biodiversity crises, while support and protecting Indigenous cultural practices, local livelihoods and economies, and animal habitats. 

Mature and old-growth forests are known as "climate forests" for their ability to sequester vast amounts of carbon, mitigate climate impacts, and safeguard biodiversity essential for climate solutions. The Forest Service must use NOGA to implement transformational change with strengthened language and standards that allow the amendment to have enforceable protections over both old-growth and mature trees and eliminate their commercial exchange. 

Please stay tuned on our social media this week for more information on how you can join us in standing with forests by submitting a public comment. We will have sample comments and templates for your use and will continue to share ahead of the commend period closing in September. 

Indigenous leaders from Cheyenne River and Standing Rock speak out during a rally in Washington D.C. to shut down the Dakota Access pipeline permanently. Photo Credit: Sophia Lovato/WECAN

At the beginning of June, youth, grassroots, and Tribal leadership from Cheyenne River and Standing Rock led a rally in Washington D.C. to demand the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) shut down the Dakota Access pipeline! The action brought together a diverse coalition of voices advocating for the protection of sacred lands, water sources, and Indigenous rights. Speakers at the rally highlighted the urgent need for environmental justice and the recognition and implementation of Indigenous rights, including Free, Prior, and Informed Consent in decision-making processes. WECAN was honored to be on the ground in Washington D.C. to support this effort.

Sophia Lovato (Osage Nation), WECAN Forest and Food Sovereignty Program Associate, and Morgan Brings Plenty (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe), Digital Organizing Fellow at Indigenous Environmental Network, at the No DAPL rally in Washington D.C. Photo Credit: WECAN

It has been eight years since the sustained actions at Standing Rock, and the Dakota Access pipeline continues to operate illegally. Despite years of protest and legal battles, DAPL operations persist, threatening Tribal treaty-protected lands and water sources, and fueling the climate crisis. The ACOE is currently evaluating DAPL, and we are calling for them to choose the "No Action Alternative #2" in the Environmental Impact Statement deliberation, which would result in the shut down and capping of the pipeline at the crossing of Lake Oahe. 

WECAN has been engaged with the Indigenous-led DAPL resistance effort since 2016, and we will continue to stand in solidarity to shut down DAPL permanently. Please learn more about the rally and efforts to shut down and cap DAPL in the press release: https://tinyurl.com/2s4bvx6y

Indigenous youth, grassroots, and Tribal leaders from Cheyenne River and Standing Rock lead a rally in Washington D.C. to demand the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) shut down the Dakota Access pipeline permanently.

Photo Credit: Sophia Lovato/WECAN

Roishetta Ozane, Founder of Vessel Project of Louisiana and Gulf Fossil Finance Coordinator for the Texas Campaign for the Environment Fund, speaks out at the Gulf Coast Rising Summer of Heat Action in New York City.

Photo Credit: Ashley Guardado/WECAN

On June 28, WECAN was on the ground in New York City in solidarity with frontline leaders from the Gulf South in the United States. We joined 100+ organizers and leaders from communities in the Gulf South that are being directly impacted by the world’s largest build out of new fossil fuel projects and took action to demand that Wall Street stop financing new fossil fuel projects. Livestreams of the action are available on our Facebook here.

During the Gulf Coast Rising Summer of Heat action, activists block the entrance to the Citibank headquarters in New York City. Photo Credit: Ashley Guardado/WECAN

More photos from the action are available on the WECAN Facebook here. WECAN has been engaged for many years in campaigns to stop fossil fuel extraction, infrastructure, and financing in the Gulf South, and we stand in solidarity with Gulf South communities in action to stop these harmful practices.

This action is part of the Summer of Heat campaign, taking place this summer to hold big banks accountable. Since June 10, the Summer of Heat has disrupted business with non-violent civil disobedience at Citibank’s headquarters. Bloomberg recently reported that the campaign “is beginning to wear on Citibank employees and executives alike” ― and just this month, thanks to years of organizing by powerful Indigenous leaders and environmental groups, Citi updated their policies pledging to no longer provide project-related financing for oil and gas expansion in the Amazon rainforest. While this is only a beginning, we celebrate this success. Our collective pressure is working, and the fight for climate justice must not stop! 

Ashley Guardado, WECAN Program Associate, in action at the Gulf Coast Rising Summer of Heat action in New York City. Photo Credit: WECAN

Residents from the Gulf South impacted by fossil fuels travelled to New York City to hold Citibank accountable for its financing of fossil fuels during the Gulf Coast Rising Summer of Heat Action. Photo Credit: Ashley Guardado/WECAN

In June, a frontline delegation of grassroots leaders, attorneys, and advocates from Appalachia met with UBS Bank to highlight serious grievances and urgent community and environmental concerns due to the construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in the Appalachian region of the United States. 

On June 11, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorized the Mountain Valley Pipeline to begin operations. Prior to the authorization, tests revealed that MVP had 130 potential problems requiring repair and analysis. MVP cuts across over 1,000 waterways and ecosystems of multiple species of concern, including federally endangered or threatened species. The pipeline runs over steep terrain susceptible to landslides in an active seismic zone, raising concerns over pipeline ruptures and explosions. We are calling for banks to investigate allegations and conduct their human rights due diligence relating to this pipeline.

The delegation was coordinated and facilitated by WECAN and Divest Invest Protect, and is part of WECAN's ongoing bank engagements and business and human rights advocacy. Learn more here.

As part of our ongoing campaign work to advance the Escazú Agreement, WECAN is sharing the final outcomes of the Third Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP3) of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean— known as the Escazú Agreement.

The States Parties adopted six decisions, including the Action Plan on human rights defenders in environmental matters, an unprecedented roadmap that seeks to advance towards the full and effective implementation of Article 9 of the Escazú Agreement, which guarantees "a safe and conducive environment for human rights defenders in environmental matters to act free of threats, restrictions and insecurity.”

This is a vital point regarding how protecting the rights of land defenders can ensure biodiversity protection. In the last decade, nearly 2,000 environmental land defenders were murdered globally, and 3 out of 4 of these murders occurred in a country within Latin America and the Caribbean region.

There was also a draft decision at COP3 that was approved to integrate and strengthen the gender perspective in the Escazú Agreement, promoting the participation of women, including Indigenous women, in environmental matters.​ While the Escazú Agreement represents a landmark achievement in the pursuit of environmental justice, transparency, and sustainable development across the Latin American and Caribbean region, the journey to accessing these rights can be fraught with legal complexities and barriers, particularly for women who are at the forefront of defending their land and communities.

As part of WECAN's advocacy for the Escazú COP3, we released the "Escazú Agreement Toolkit for Women Land Defenders and Frontline Communities," a resource designed to help women land defenders navigate the domestic laws of their country to achieve the protections of the Escazú Agreement. The toolkits contain information specific to 5 different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean: Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, and Antigua and Barbuda, with an additional toolkit for Brazil to be released soon. These toolkits aim to support the transformative potential of this historic Agreement to build a thriving and equitable future for all, including those courageous individuals defending land and ecosystems. The toolkits were developed by the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) with support from the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice.

We will be releasing more country-specific toolkits later this year, so please stay tuned for more information!

Globally, the momentum continues to build to enshrine and protect the Rights of Nature. From forests to rivers, communities, cities, and countries are taking action to recognize that nature has the right to exist, live, thrive, evolve and regenerate. Please see a few exciting stories celebrating recent victories and advancements in the Rights of Nature. Rights of Nature has been a cornerstone of WECAN's campaigns since our founding, you can learn more about our advocacy efforts here.

Brazil: Waves are recognized as a subject of rights in Brazil

The coastal city of Linhares in southeastern Brazil recently recognized the waves of the Doce River Mouth as entities with legal rights! This groundbreaking bill aims to protect these iconic waves, essential to the local community and ecosystem, and acknowledges the ocean as a living being subject to intrinsic rights to existence, regeneration, and restoration. Learn more here.

Ecuador: Rights of Nature ruling states that pollution violates River Rights

In Ecuador, a court has ruled that pollution has violated the rights of the Machángara River, which runs through the country’s capital, Quito. Ecuador is one of the few countries that recognize the Rights of Nature in its constitution, and this article was key for the ruling, and protecting the rights of the river. While the city of Quito is appealing the ruling, the court ordered the government to come up with a plan to clean up the river. Learn more about this historic ruling here.

United States: Sault Tribe Passes Resolution to Protect the Natural World

Recently, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in northern Michigan passed a resolution to defend the Rights of Nature. The tribe joins nations across Turtle Island who are leading a Rights of Nature movement to enshrine the inherent rights of the natural world — including plants, animals, and lands and waters — into law. Learn more here.

The Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) is currently receiving applications for a Social Media Intern to join our dynamic team of global women working for climate justice, systemic change and women's leadership in climate change solutions!

This is a 5-8 hour per week, remote, volunteer internship. The Social Media Intern will work under the guidance of WECAN's Communications Coordinator to contribute to storytelling and advocacy, primarily through weekly social media research, planning, and scheduling. Secondary tasks may include creating graphics, flyers, and visual content. Learn more and apply here!

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis for the internship. For the fall internship, WECAN will start reviewing applications on August 5, for a September start date.

Please see media highlights from the first half of the year highlighting WECAN campaigns and advocacy! You can always find more media moments on our website here.

• Yale Climate Connections: 12 climate books to bring with you on summer vacation

• Common Dreams - As Temperature Records Fall, the Summer of Heat on Wall Street Is Warming Up

• Bloomberg - Climate Activists Arrested at Citi’s NYC Headquarters

• ABC 7 - 'Summer of Heat on Wall Street' climate activists target Citigroup in Lower Manhattan

• Common Dreams - Dozens Arrested as Activists Target Citigroup for Bankrolling Climate Breakdown

• Salon - Turn up the heat: Climate change activists are gearing up for a sizzling summer of dissent

• PBS Wisconsin - Public hearings in Ashland focus on Line 5 pipeline proposal

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Rerouting of Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline attracted 8 hours of testimony. Here are key takeaways

• WXPR - Tribe and environmental groups express opposition to Line 5 Segment Relocation Project

• WPR - Public weighs in on proposed pipeline reroute in northern Wisconsin

• Reuters: Comment - Dear COP29, it’s time to put women-led climate solutions on the agenda

• New York Times - An Oil Company Is Trespassing on Tribal Land in Wisconsin, Justice Dept. Says

• Michigan Advance - U.S. Government weighs in on Line 5 appeal noting treaty concerns and issues with damages

• The Advocate - Houma Nation storyteller and filmmaker will be part of free event at LSU on Wednesday

• Chicago Sun Times - An oil and gas pipeline threatens the Great Lakes. Shut it down.

• Chicago Defender - Water is Life. The Line 5 Oil Pipeline Threatens So Much of It.

• Common Dreams - Indigenous Leaders and Environmental Groups Deliver Petitions Urging Army Corps of Engineers to Address Line 5 Pipeline Impacts

• Soo Leader - Indigenous leaders, environmental groups urging Army Corps to address Line 5 pipeline impacts

• UN Climate Champions - The Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) on International Women’s Day

• Law360 - Tribes, Enviro Orgs. Try To Join Tongass Roadless Rule Fight

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.