International Women’s Day: diverse women organise for climate justice
Women from across the Sydney Alliance partner network, including the Muhajirin Association for Community Development and Unions NSW, are raising their voices to action firmer and clearer climate solutions across Western Sydney and the nation.
This year’s International Women’s Day march at Belmore Park on Saturday March 12 will highlight the ongoing fight for the improvement of women’s rights at all levels of society, including their wellbeing in parts of Sydney most impacted by climate change.
Zubaida Alrubai is a Western Sydney based teacher and member both of the Sydney Alliance’s Voices for Power movement and the Muhajirin Association for Community Development. She believes that urgent climate action across suburban Sydney is an issue of women’s wellbeing.
“As a teacher working in Western Sydney, I know the impact that heat can have on the clarity and focus of my girl students.”
Speaking to SBS journalist, Sarah Malik, Zubaida has said, “In the previous girls’ school I was teaching in, the weather was predicted to be in the 40s. The next day no one showed up. I only had two students come in out of 30. “
“They are the steps we can take on an individual level, but we need more. We need unified community action to build power and guarantee climate change solutions from our leaders. This is why I’m involved in Voices for Power.”
For Diana Olmos, Community Organiser at the Sydney Alliance, the stresses of climate change for women in her community are keenly felt.
“As a woman of colour and as a new migrant in this country, I stand up for the future that I want to see, where future generations will live in a society that cares more about the rights of all people than just the profits of some,” Diana said.
“As a community organiser, I believe in democracy, and I support migrant communities to work on the issues that affect us and take part of the decision-making of it.”
“This include the symptoms of climate change, such as extreme heat. I believe everyone has the right to live in a healthy and affordable home regardless of their visa status or migrant background”.
Diverse women from across the Sydney Alliance’s partner network will be marching at next week’s International Women’s Day event at Belmore Park. You can sign up via Eventbrite and Facebook
About the Sydney Alliance’s Voices for Power campaign
Voices for Power brings diverse cultural, religious and community leaders together to build collective power and organise for clean and affordable energy solutions for our communities.
Through supporting shovel-ready, clean, affordable energy programs, the NSW government can back communities in Western Sydney. This is our best chance to reduce pollution and protect our climate, while also saving on our power bills and creating local jobs following the coronavirus pandemic. These programs include a community-owned solar garden, mobile community energy hub and a healthy homes program. You can read more about these here.
