Zonta Says NOW to Gender-Equal Climate Action
Women are less likely than men to recover after severe weather events such as extreme heat, drought, fires, storms, and floods. Why? Systemic gender inequality has led to women having fewer resources and choices than men. With each climate-related disaster, the gender gaps in education, pay, digital technology, and legal rights widen, and violence against women increases.
The climate crisis is a human rights crisis—and a women’s rights crisis
UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, 2022
Zonta International’s Statement on Climate Change: a gender-equality issue shows how women are agents of change for intergenerational gender-equal climate justice and recommends a human rights-based approach to solve the climate crisis and achieve greener, cleaner, and equal societies.
How do we take action?
Zonta Says NOW to gender-equal climate action aims to implement Zonta’s Statement on Climate Change using this five-step framework.
1. We gather the facts. We learn about climate change, how it impacts gender equality, and what we can do about it.
2. We lead by example. We take personal action to reduce our carbon footprint, build more resilient communities, and take on leadership roles in our clubs, communities and workplaces.
3. We use our voice. We share the facts and our personal actions with family, friends and co-workers – everyone we meet!
4. We advocate. In our clubs, we work for climate justice by closing gender gaps in education, health, safety, technology and human rights and advocate for gender-equal climate action by governments.
5. We collaborate. We magnify our voice by collaborating with like-minded organisations e.g. other Zonta Clubs, UN Women, Soroptimists, and One Million Women
Zonta International envisions a world where every woman can achieve her full potential, has access to all resources, is represented in decision-making positions on an equal basis with men, and lives without fear of violence. By taking gender-equal climate action now, we can keep this vision alive.
What are the issues?
Visit the Zonta Says NOW pages on the Zonta International website for more gender-equal climate action resources showing how to put the framework for action into practice. There are research papers, fact sheets, and leaflets identifying the problems facing women and girls and what we can do to solve them!
How do we feel about the issues?
Our resources contain the facts, but how do we capture our feelings about the world today? The Zonta Says NOW Virtual Art Gallery features artwork by Zontians and their families and includes paintings, photos, fashion, videos, poetry, quilts, and much more!
On Mother Earth Day (22 April) we launch the annual collection of the Zonta Says NOW Virtual Art Gallery. Check out the 2024 and 2025 collections, and look out for the 2026 collection, launching on Mother Earth Day 2026.
Please enjoy the promotional video below.
To be included in the 2026 collection, please submit your entry before 8 March 2026.