Nowadays, a prevailing consensus has emerged among scientific communities and governments around the critical importance of expanding the scope of discussions on sustainable development to include the concept of climate justice. This increasingly accepted recognition emphasizes that sustainable development and climate justice are not distinct or separate objectives, but they are two connected dimensions that must be addressed as integral components of the same mission. Anyway, despite this more recent conviction, environmental and social issues have not always been discussed together. Social and gender equality have been included in the general discussion about sustainability and the international conferences only a few decades ago, starting with the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 (UN, 1992). This correlation and the concept pf climate justice stem, indeed, from the recognition that environmental issues disproportionately affect communities around the world and have a much greater impact on the most marginalized and poor populations on the planet (S.Nazrul Islam, J. Winkel, 2017). Going further in this consideration, it becomes increasingly apparent that women, within the broader population, emerge as a highly vulnerable group when confronted with environmental and social crises (B. Osman-Elasha, 2009). This vulnerability is underscored by diversified factors, such as economic, cultural, political and social interconnected dimensions. In essence, the vulnerability of women to the complexities of environmental and social crises cannot be attributed to any single cause. It arises from the coexistence of social, economic, cultural, and deeply rooted structural dimensions: for this reason, over the last decades, the slogan "no climate justice without gender justice" has become frequently used (T. Jafry, 2020). Women are impacted first and worst by climate change, but yet are simultaneously essential actors in local and global solutions. Several studies now recognize that women have a disruptive and crucial role in combating the climate crisis, committing themselves to reaching sustainable development and social equality (L. Warth, M. Koparanova, 2012). Female entrepreneurs’ contribution is indispensable and it is even more crucial in the impact sector, where soft and managerial skills of women are combined. With the growing consciousness and recognition of women’ role in the sustainable development and impact sector, an increasing number of studies are addressing the topic, underlining the important role of women in the climate crisis, the impact that their entrepreneurial projects can have in accelerating change and the crucial need of talking about climate justice worldwide (UN, 2014). Nevertheless, it is imperative to recognize that the current state of the literature reveals notable gaps in our understanding of women's intricate journeys within sustainable development initiatives and entrepreneurial projects. Hence, this research aims to address these gaps by providing a more comprehensive examination of women's roles and contributions by answering the following questions: what are the experiences of women in the impact sector with their sustainable entrepreneurial projects? What are their experiences, challenges faced, and strengths leveraged? By deepening the thesis question, the goal is to foster a wider understanding of women’s vital role, experiences and the difficulties they encounter in advancing sustainable development, ultimately contributing to a more equitable and effective approach to addressing global challenges. At the heart of our study there are also the experiences and suggestions provided by the interviewed about how women's involvement in the impact sectors can improve their economic well-being as well as the overall stability of the organizations they're a part of.
Al giorno d'oggi, é emerso un consenso prevalente tra le comunità scientifiche e i governi sull'importanza di espandere le discussioni sullo sviluppo sostenibile al concetto più generale di giustizia climatica. Questo cambiamento sottolinea che lo sviluppo sostenibile e la giustizia climatica non sono obiettivi distinti, ma due dimensioni connesse e integranti della stessa missione (ONU, 1992). Questa correlazione deriva dal riconoscimento che le questioni ambientali colpiscono in modo sproporzionato le comunità di tutto il mondo e hanno un impatto ancora più importante sulle popolazioni più emarginate e povere del pianeta (S.Nazrul Islam, J. Winkel, 2017). In particolare, le donne risultano come altamente vulnerabili di fronte alle crisi ambientali (B. Osman-Elasha, 2009). Questa vulnerabilità deriva da diversi fattori interconnessi tra loro - economici, culturali, politici e sociali (T. Jafry, 2020). Le donne sono solitamente le persone più colpite dal cambiamento climatico, ma allo stesso tempo, numerosi studi riconoscono anche il loro ruolo dirompente nella lotta alla crisi climatica e il loro impegno per lo sviluppo sostenibile e l'uguaglianza sociale (L. Warth, M. Koparanova, 2012). Il contributo delle donne imprenditrici e i loro progetti è indispensabile per accelerare il cambiamento (ONU, 2014). Ciononostante, ci sono ancora molte lacune nella letterature su questo tema. Pertanto, questa Tesi mira a fornire un esame più completo dei percorsi di alcune donne imprenditrici all'interno delle iniziative di sviluppo sostenibile, rispondendo alle seguenti domande: quali sono le esperienze delle donne nei loro progetti imprenditoriali volti allo sviluppo sostenibile, le sfide affrontate e i loro punti di forza? Attraverso delle interviste, l'obiettivo é di promuovere una più ampia comprensione delle loro esperienze, includendo anche delle raccomandazione fornite dalle intervistate su come raggiungere una maggiore giustizia climatica, migliorare il benessere economico delle donne e la stabilità delle stesse organizzazioni di cui fanno parte.
Women and climate justice: their contribution for the sustainable development
GALLINA, MATILDE TERESA
2022/2023
Abstract
Nowadays, a prevailing consensus has emerged among scientific communities and governments around the critical importance of expanding the scope of discussions on sustainable development to include the concept of climate justice. This increasingly accepted recognition emphasizes that sustainable development and climate justice are not distinct or separate objectives, but they are two connected dimensions that must be addressed as integral components of the same mission. Anyway, despite this more recent conviction, environmental and social issues have not always been discussed together. Social and gender equality have been included in the general discussion about sustainability and the international conferences only a few decades ago, starting with the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 (UN, 1992). This correlation and the concept pf climate justice stem, indeed, from the recognition that environmental issues disproportionately affect communities around the world and have a much greater impact on the most marginalized and poor populations on the planet (S.Nazrul Islam, J. Winkel, 2017). Going further in this consideration, it becomes increasingly apparent that women, within the broader population, emerge as a highly vulnerable group when confronted with environmental and social crises (B. Osman-Elasha, 2009). This vulnerability is underscored by diversified factors, such as economic, cultural, political and social interconnected dimensions. In essence, the vulnerability of women to the complexities of environmental and social crises cannot be attributed to any single cause. It arises from the coexistence of social, economic, cultural, and deeply rooted structural dimensions: for this reason, over the last decades, the slogan "no climate justice without gender justice" has become frequently used (T. Jafry, 2020). Women are impacted first and worst by climate change, but yet are simultaneously essential actors in local and global solutions. Several studies now recognize that women have a disruptive and crucial role in combating the climate crisis, committing themselves to reaching sustainable development and social equality (L. Warth, M. Koparanova, 2012). Female entrepreneurs’ contribution is indispensable and it is even more crucial in the impact sector, where soft and managerial skills of women are combined. With the growing consciousness and recognition of women’ role in the sustainable development and impact sector, an increasing number of studies are addressing the topic, underlining the important role of women in the climate crisis, the impact that their entrepreneurial projects can have in accelerating change and the crucial need of talking about climate justice worldwide (UN, 2014). Nevertheless, it is imperative to recognize that the current state of the literature reveals notable gaps in our understanding of women's intricate journeys within sustainable development initiatives and entrepreneurial projects. Hence, this research aims to address these gaps by providing a more comprehensive examination of women's roles and contributions by answering the following questions: what are the experiences of women in the impact sector with their sustainable entrepreneurial projects? What are their experiences, challenges faced, and strengths leveraged? By deepening the thesis question, the goal is to foster a wider understanding of women’s vital role, experiences and the difficulties they encounter in advancing sustainable development, ultimately contributing to a more equitable and effective approach to addressing global challenges. At the heart of our study there are also the experiences and suggestions provided by the interviewed about how women's involvement in the impact sectors can improve their economic well-being as well as the overall stability of the organizations they're a part of.È consentito all'utente scaricare e condividere i documenti disponibili a testo pieno in UNITESI UNIPV nel rispetto della licenza Creative Commons del tipo CC BY NC ND.
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14239/3291