Climate Action
Securing Our Fate: Women Warriors Forging the Future
March 4, 2025
Avid readers of fantasy fiction may already be familiar with the Triple Goddess archetype: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. In myth and legend, each represents a stage of the female life cycle, embodying unique strengths. However, in reality, societal expectations often reduce these roles to limiting stereotypes — youth as naivety, motherhood as self-sacrifice, and old age with diminishing relevance. Western culture, in particular, has historically framed these figures through a patriarchal lens, failing to recognize the full scope of their power.
Yet, throughout history, women have defied these limitations, using their distinct perspectives and strengths to drive change. In honor of Women’s History Month, we are spotlighting three climate activists who exemplify these incarnations of immortality. Their work demonstrates that womanhood is a formidable force in the battle to protect the planet.
The Maiden: Autumn Peltier
Growing up on Lake Huron, Autumn Peltier’s life has always been deeply connected to water. Inspired by her aunt Josephine Mandamin, a founding member of the water-protector movement, Peltier became an environmental advocate at just eight years old, speaking out against industrial pollution in First Nations communities. By twelve, she had gained recognition for her eloquence and conviction. In 2016, she confronted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, challenging his approved two fossil fuel pipelines, despite promises to provide clean water. Peltier’s impassioned plea resonated across the nation, solidifying her status as a leading voice in environmental activism.
Now serving as the Chief Water Commissioner of the Anishinabek Nation, Peltier continues to champion clean water access. Canada has long failed its Indigenous peoples — many have endured decades-long drinking water advisories. A 2016 Human Rights Watch (HRW) report revealed that 85 First Nations reservations lacked safe drinking water, forcing families to rely on bottled water for basic needs. This reality, deeply entrenched in colonialism, results from the fact that many First Nations tribes were forced to establish reservations on polluted lands, formerly used as uranium mines or landfill sites.
Peltier is currently studying Indigenous Politics at the University of Ottawa, integrating activism with education. Drawing courage from her Indigenous roots, Peltier hopes to hold Canadian officials accountable, amplifying her ancestral voices and honoring their traditions of ecological stewardship. By demanding water — the element that sustains all creation — be recognized as a fundamental human right, she is pressuring leaders to fulfill their legal obligations and ensure water security for all.
The Mother: Dr. Melissa Burt
For parents like Dr. Melissa Burt, an atmospheric scientist and founding member of Science Moms, the climate crisis is deeply personal. As a mother, she fears for the world her children will inherit. Dr. Burt understands that, much like herself, parents universally worry about their children’s future, yet climate change’s politicization has led many Americans to deny its threat. To bridge this divide, she and the Science Moms team use concern for children’s safety as common ground, striving to make climate action a unifying issue rather than a partisan one.
Science Moms empowers mothers with knowledge and tools to advocate for climate action and counter misinformation. Many of us, regardless of political affiliation, struggle to engage with climate science due to its complexity and daunting technical jargon. Dr. Burt and Science Moms simplify these concepts, producing digestible, accessible content that meets audiences where they are at — rather than relying on an accusatory tone. Their goal is not to overwhelm with doom and gloom but to instill hope and convey the urgency of what is at stake.
In a historic move, Science Moms aired the first-ever climate ad during the 2025 Super Bowl, reaching millions with a simple yet pressing question: “How long will the people and places we love be around?” Through this video, Dr. Burt and her colleagues emphasize that climate action is not just the responsibility of scientists or policymakers but of everyday citizens. If we want a livable future for our children, not one plagued by environmental uncertainty, we must be willing to fight for it now.
The Crone: Rosmarie Wydler-Wälti
While climate activism is often associated with young leaders like Autumn Peltier or Greta Thunberg, Rosmarie Wydler-Wälti proves that advocacy has no age limit. As Co-President of KlimaSeniorinnen (Senior Women for Climate Protection), she spearheaded a historic nine-year legal battle against the Swiss government for its inaction against climate change. At 75 years old, Wydler-Wälti’s unwavering commitment to eco-feminism earned her a spot on BBC’s 100 Women of the Year in 2024.
KlimaSeniorinnen, a group of 2,400 women over the age of 65, argues that climate change directly threatens their right to life and health. In 2022, 60% of summer heatwave deaths in Switzerland were linked to climate change. This extreme heat has a disturbingly fatal effect on elderly women in particular. In response, the group sued the Swiss government for failing to meet its emissions reduction targets under the Paris Agreement.
Their case reached the European Court of Human Rights, marking the first time the court heard a climate complaint in its Grand Chamber. In 2024, the court declared that Switzerland had violated human rights through its inadequate climate action. Though Swiss politicians rejected the ruling, the decision set a crucial precedent for future climate litigation worldwide.
A Woman’s Place is in the Climate Movement
Peltier, Dr. Burt, and Wydler-Wälti are just three examples of women driving environmental action; it is equally important to recognize the vital role that female activists worldwide play in tackling climate change. According to the United Nations, women are not only disproportionately impacted by climate disasters but also play a crucial role in building community resilience. Female-led activism brings invaluable perspectives to solution-oriented conversations, shaping environmental policy through international legal battles and grassroots movements alike.
These women warriors, forging tangible change, prove that gender, motherhood, or age should never be barriers to advocacy. Climate action is not reserved for scientists, politicians, or the young — it is a lifelong commitment that can take many forms. Let their stories be an inspiration to take action. Find an issue you care about, connect with like-minded individuals, and get to work. If you’re ready to to take this step, join us on Earth Action Day as we mobilize to secure a more livable planet. Whether you resonate with the Maiden, the Mother, or the Crone, your voice matters in the fight for a sustainable future. Change begins with you.
