Celebrating International Women's Month

You may have heard of Pride Month in June and Black History Month in February, which spotlight queer and Black people, but have you heard of International Women’s Month?

Running throughout March, International Women’s Month is a global celebration of women’s achievements. Its goal is to honor women for their historical, economic, cultural, and political contributions, which often go underrecognized. This celebration culminates on March 8th, International Women’s Day, during which people show support for the cause by attending local events, wearing purple, and donating to women’s charities.

In honor of this year’s theme, “Leading Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future”, the Eagle Edition has decided to spotlight a few key women who’ve been advocating for women's rights and sustainability.

1. Nemonte Nenquimo

An Indigenous activist, author, and member of the Waorani nation from the Amazonian region of Ecuador, Nenquimo has been fighting to protect her homeland. Waorani land has repeatedly been auctioned off for oil drilling by the Ecuadorian government, destroying and polluting their forests.

In 2013, she co-founded the Ceibo Alliance to give Indigenous peoples the representation they needed to address government legislation concerning their territories. This led to her filing a lawsuit in 2019, stating that the Ecuadorian government could not auction off Indigenous land without engaging in the informed consent process standard of international law, which she won.

Today, she is still fighting for the rights of Indigenous peoples and has even been nominated as a candidate for the 2026 Freedom Prize for her efforts.

2. Sunita Narain

An Indian environmentalist and political activist, and a major proponent of the Green concept of sustainable development, Narain has been deeply involved in activism for the majority of her life.

Currently, she’s the director general of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), director of the Society of Environmental Communications, and editor of the environmental politics magazine Down to Earth. In 2016, she was named on Time Magazine’s list of 100 Most Influential People 

She began working for the CSE while still a student at the University of Delhi, and has been responsible for writing papers that are still foundational for climate justice research today. Narain has continued her work today by partnering with various environmental and climate change committees, which goes to show how, with persistence, anything is possible.