At RED, the future of the planet is important to us.
We believe the actions we take over the next few years are crucial. When just 100,000 people use RED alone from the start of their menstrual cycle, 11 billion disposable hygiene products are prevented from ending up in landfill. That's a whole lot less waste and a much better place to for us to live in!
Recently we have been really inspired by the young voices that have been speaking up and speaking out against climate change. So, we reached out to some young activists that are taking a stand and shaking things up within their communities and around the world.
This week we hear from the inspiring Doha Khan, an 18-year-old climate activist from Adelaide. At 16, Doha was involved in co-founding the South Australian branch of the School Strike 4 Climate movement, which was inspired by Greta Thunberg. She also ran for the Adelaide City Council, being one of the youngest candidates to ever contest the seat. Doha is currently engaged in mentoring student climate activists in Adelaide, is working as the co-ordinator for Fridays For Future SA to develop a campaign centred on the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and as an advocate for Governments to invest in a Green COVID-19 Recovery.
Here’s an essay on climate change from Doha:
Climate Change as a Women’s Issue
Women are fighters.
From the suffragette movement, to the LGBT+ rights movement, and even to the civil rights movement, women have historically risen in the face of injustice.
This is no different when it comes to the climate crisis.
2019 was the year of climate protests. Record-breaking crowds swarmed streets across the globe, coming together to demand action on what is arguably the greatest threat facing humanity: climate change.
Scenes of impassioned young people, parents and professionals chanting and marching for their right to a safe climate occupied screens across the world. Despite their unmissable diversity - in ethnicity, culture, demands and much more - these crowds were alike in that at their forefront, were predominantly young women.
Climate change has only recently started being discussed as a women’s issue. While a changing climate affects everyone, the brunt of the subsequent environmental, economic and social shocks are borne by the world’s most vulnerable and poor, the majority of which are women due to a range of socio-economic, cultural and systematic factors prevalent in developing nations. In being disproportionately engaged in natural resource-dependent activities such as subsidence farming and water collection, the increase in droughts, floods and extreme weather events will result in additional burdens being placed on women. This is one of many examples: the pressures of climate change are proven to cause increases in child marriages, domestic violence, human trafficking, extreme labour exploitation, among much more - all of which impact women, first and worst.
The role of climate change in exacerbating existing inequality cannot be understated. In recent years, many developing countries have made progress towards gender equality through increased female education and labour force participation. However, in decreasing sanitation, food security, living conditions and school attendance, climate change threatens to impede and even undo some of the crucial progress that has been made. Such realities surrounding the true impact of climate change highlight why the fight for climate action must intersect with the fight for gender equality. The Modibodi Give a Pair program aims to end period poverty - a small percentage of every purchase made by a customer goes towards providing product directly into the hands of women in need. They donate all returned, opened but sellable stock to charities locally and globally. Through their Give A Pair program, you can help to deliver more pairs; every contribution helps get a pair of Modibodi into the hands of women in need.
To date, they have donated over 20,858 pairs of underwear to help fight period poverty around the world. Check out the program here.
We believe the actions we take over the next few years are crucial. What are some ways that you are reducing your waste?
Are you a young activist that wants to champion our planet? Please get in touch with us at RED as we'd love to hear from you!
