Betty's journey: Climate, Covid and Care

09/21/20 • 17 min

"Just because the entire world was on lockdown, doesn’t mean that climate change or the patriarchy was on lockdown. The patriarchy is not on lockdown. Climate change cannot be contained" - Betty Barkha
This is the third episode of a mini-series, in collaboration with the Climate, Covid, and Care: Feminist Journey's zine which launched on the 24th of August, 2020. This publication is a collection of journeys, stories, and ideas from five feminist activists working at the intersection of gender and climate justice.
In this episode, we hear from Betty Barkha, a climate activist from Latouka in the Fiji Islands. The Pacific Islands are experiencing the life altering effects of the climate crisis as we speak. Sea levels are rising, increasing intensity of tropical cyclones, saltwater intrusions, coastal erosion, submersion of islands and much more...
Betty offers insight into Pacific Island life and how answers can be found in the leaders and activists in the community. She also discusses the climate justice eco-system, the role of gender in the climate crisis and how Covid has heightened the visibility of issues of climate and gender inequality.

Stay tuned and follow Power Shifts project on Instagram!
Links and resources:
The Civicus Alliance

The Association of Women in Development (AWID)

FRIDA's Young Feminist Fund

The Global Resilience Fund for Young Women and Girls

Listen to the Equals Podcast

Host and narration: Maria Faciolince
Production and audio editing: Bethany Donkin
Portrait of Betty by Maanya Shar

Stay tuned and follow Power Shifts project on Instagram!
Links and resources:
The Civicus Alliance

The Association of Women in Development (AWID)

FRIDA's Young Feminist Fund

The Global Resilience Fund for Young Women and Girls

Listen to the Equals Podcast

Host and narration: Maria Faciolince
Production and audio editing: Bethany Donkin
Portrait of Betty by Maanya Shar

Previous Episode

Maggie's Journey: Climate, Covid and Care

"The climate crisis is real for so many communities. Sometimes we don't have the language for it, we can't explain it. But we can feel it in our bodies. We feel it in our land. We see it in the water" - Maggie Mapondera
This is the second episode of a new mini-series, in collaboration with the Climate, Covid, and Care: Feminist Journeys zine which launched on the 24th of August, 2020. This publication is a collection of journeys, stories, and ideas from five feminist activists working at the intersection of gender and climate justice.
In this second episode we hear from Maggie Mapondera, an activist-communicator-facilitator from Zimbabwe, who currently works with WOMIN, an organisation supporting and allying with women impacted by extractivism. Tune in to hear Maggie reflecting on difficult questions around systemic violence and race, climate change and COVID. Listen to how she's working to break down the silos separating these issues, and the importance of grappling with histories of violence to do justice to visions of feminist and climate justice activists today.
Stay tuned and follow Power Shifts project on Instagram!
Links and resources:

Womin - the organisation Maggie works for
An interview with Maggie on Gender IT
Power Shifts Project

Host and narration: Maria Faciolince
Production and audio editing: Bethany Donkin

Next Episode

Majandra's Journey: Climate, Covid and Care

"From an ecofeminist perspective, we understand that the sustainability of life should be at the front and centre of our economic system, instead of profit and competition. That means valuing care work. It means valuing low-carbon jobs. It means valuing the sustainability of all life." - Majandra Rodríguez Acha

This is the fourth episode of a mini series, in collaboration with the Climate, Covid, and Care: Feminist Journey's zine which launched on the 24th of August, 2020. This publication is a collection of journeys, stories, and ideas from five feminist activists working at the intersection of gender and climate justice.

In this episode, we hear from Majandra Rodríguez Acha, climate justice and queer feminist activist from Lima, Peru. Majandra’s activism focuses on gender, intersectionality, youth activism and the environment. In this episode, you'll hear Majandra share insights from her work at TierrActiva Perú and FRIDA on building transnational feminist solidarity and helping create new narratives to the ecological crisis geared towards feminist solutions and community-based organising. Listen to her delve into questions around navigating power and privilege, and reflect on the systemic crisis to highlight intersections between different forms of oppression, allowing us to see the direct relation between violence against women's bodies and the environment.

Stay tuned and follow Power Shifts project on Instagram!

Links and resources:

I am Generation Equality: Majandra Rodriguez Acha, youth leader, climate justice believer (UNWomen)
- Majandra Rodriguez Acha on the Power of Youth and Women in Achieving a Sustainable Future (Global Greengrants)
- In Peru, this young activist is sparking a movement for climate justice (Grist)
- Majandra Rodríguez Acha: the Norms Shifter (On Think Tanks)
- Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)

Host and narration: Maria Faciolince

Production and audio editing: Beth Donkin