Vanessa Nakate: Climate Justice Begins with Women’s Voices

 


In the growing call for climate action, Vanessa Nakate stands as a bold voice from Uganda, one that echoes with conviction, urgency, and purpose. Her rise from solo climate strikes to global platforms is not just a story of environmental activism; it’s a call to center African voices and women’s leadership in the fight for a sustainable future.

Vanessa Nakate’s journey began in 2019 when she was inspired by Greta Thunberg. But unlike many stories that follow global trends, Nakate chose to start a movement rooted in the unique realities of her homeland. She founded the Rise Up Movement, a platform to amplify African perspectives in climate conversations too often dominated by voices from the Global North.

Her Green Schools Project reflects action, not just advocacy by installing solar panels and eco-stoves in Ugandan schools, she is promoting renewable energy, reducing deforestation, and transforming the way education and sustainability intersect.



Vanessa doesn’t separate the environment from the people who live in it, especially not the women and girls most vulnerable to its degradation.

In many parts of Africa, the climate crisis directly increases the risks of gender-based violence, early marriage, and educational disruption for girls. By advocating for girls' education, Nakate is not only empowering individuals, she’s building climate-resilient communities.

She reminds the world that climate justice cannot exist without gender equality.

We need more women in the rooms where conversations about our planet are being made, and education can help more women get in these rooms.”
— Vanessa Nakate

Nakate’s impact has crossed borders. She has addressed global leaders at COP25 and COP26, continuously urging them to listen to those on the frontlines of the crisis. In 2022, she was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, solidifying her influence in global policy spaces where few African women have stood.

Yet she remains grounded. Her work is a testament to grassroots power, a proof that change starts when one person dares to speak, and keeps speaking.

At Ecofem Tales, we believe in stories that move people to act, stories like Vanessa Nakate’s, where climate justice, education, and women’s rights are not separate battles, but one shared mission.

Vanessa shows us that the future of the planet depends on how fiercely we fight for the women who nurture, protect, and sustain it.

 


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