Why are women critical to the wellbeing of our collective future, particularly now?
By Madi Lommen and Laina Raveendran-Greene, Angels of Impact.
As conflict escalates in Europe, Zoya Kralya is an elderly resident of Vodiane, a village in eastern Ukraine, pulling a barrel riddled with bullet holes out of a junk pile that is the remains of her former garden, she says humorously, "they made a strainer out of it”, referring to Russian militants. Laughing, she adds, “they keep hitting me, but I just build back."
Zoya Kralya’s resilience is a key characteristic of so many women across the world facing all kinds of conflict–disease, poverty, and now, evermore environmental risk from climate change. Of the 685 million people living on less than $1.90 USD/day, the majority are women. In fact, one in every seven women is poor. And yet, despite the position of women as often underserved, their disposition as caregivers, teachers, and stewards renders them effective leaders in times of crisis.