Just last month, a feminist climate movement for Washington State was born. While many environmental organizations have worked towards a broad inclusion of Washington residents in the climate movement, many women have continued to feel left out and unheard.
Now we are banding together as Washington Women for Climate Action Now—WashingtonWomenCAN.
The Womxn's March on Seattle takes place Sat. Jan 21. At 8:30am, WashingtonWomenCAN will host a pre-march Climate Contingent Gathering at St. Peter's Episcopal Church (1610 S. King St, Seattle). For details, please visit WashingtonWomenCAN.org
It takes a bit of reflecting to see how gender equality and the environment are connected. Single parent households are mostly led by women and often below the poverty line. Poverty multiplies the burden of climate change- whether through rising fuel costs or healthcare costs for smog-induced asthma- and so many women shoulder this burden for their families.
As natural disasters like flooding and wildfires increase in strength and frequency due to climate change, women face consequences that at first seem to be unrelated. For example, spikes in domestic violence are already linked to severe weather events all around the world. With a growing wealth gap and a significant gender pay gap, women facing violence rarely have the financial resources they need to land on their feet.
Women already bear the burden of climate change, even in our state. And yet women are leading the charge to reducing their own emissions and that of their families. Now it’s time for something bigger—to clean up the air and water all around the State—and we know women are uniquely positioned to achieve this goal.
We know that our kids, our dogs, our parents all need clean air as much as we do. We know both the fish and the fishermen need clean water to thrive. We know fossil fuels have robbed many communities of clean air and water, and that renewable energy is the way forward.
And so tomorrow, January 21, we will join the Womxn’s March on Seattle for you and your families as much as for ourselves.
We will march for our own neighborhoods and for the parts of Washington state we’ve never visited.
We will march for our own children, for children we may never meet, and for children who won’t be born for years to come.
Because the air and water connects us all, and we will defend our right to the future every woman wants, every child deserves, every generation needs.
Our intention is to stand together, to lift each other up, to build community that crosses county lines, race lines, and political lines. We are turning our passion into a love to be reckoned with.
WWCAN invites you to join our climate contingent at the Womxn’s March on Seattle, this Saturday, January 21. Between 8:30 and 9:40am, you can meet up with us at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1610 S. King Street, Seattle, WA 98144. We will walk together over to Judkins Park at 9:40. Between 10 and 10:30am, join us in the environment section at Judkins Park. From there we will march to Seattle Center. For march details, reminders, and last-minute updates (like the actual route), go to WashingtonWomenCAN.org or our Facebook page.
