Giving voice to rural women in the fight against climate change – Mariana Guerrero Álvarez
As climate change intensifies, rural women in Colombia are facing some of its most devastating impacts. Dependent on agriculture and fishing to feed their families and communities, these women are on the front lines of a crisis that threatens their lives and livelihoods. But they’re not alone in this struggle. Through Equal Measures 2030’s Data Journalist Fellowship, Colombian journalist Mariana Guerrero Álvarez is bringing their stories to light—showcasing the resilience of rural women and exposing the deep intersection of gender inequality and climate vulnerability in Colombia.
Equal Measures 2030, in partnership with Salesforce, launched the Data Journalism Fellowship to empower journalists to use gender data in their stories – an essential tool to advance gender equality in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030. In 2023, the fellowship provided 11 Latin American journalists and gender equality advocates with the resources to produce groundbreaking stories, providing training, access to data tools, and a grant to support their projects.
For Mariana, this opportunity was a chance to amplify her country’s most affected voices and bring gender-focused climate justice to the forefront. Her work, published in El Tiempo effectively highlights how droughts, poverty, and exclusion from decision-making spaces is deepening inequalities in these communities and holding back progress on climate justice.
Climate change and gender: A deep dive into Colombia
Mariana’s reporting dives into the gendered effects of climate change, particularly for rural women in agriculture and fishing. In many areas, women are responsible for growing food and ensuring food security for their families, but as climate patterns shift unpredictably and droughts become more frequent, these responsibilities grow harder to fulfil; the result is deepening food insecurity and poverty in some of Colombia’s most vulnerable communities.
The intersection of climate change and gender inequality became impossible for Mariana to ignore after witnessing the work of women environmental leaders across Colombia. “In Colombia, there are some women environmental leaders in different regions who stand out for their impetus in the preservation and care of natural resources,” she says. Seeing these leaders act on behalf of their communities sparked a powerful question for her: How does this crisis impact women specifically?
The urgency only grew as the Colombian government made repeated calls about the climate crisis. However, even as international organizations highlighted the effects of climate change on women at the global level, Mariana realized that “little had been said about the particularities of the Colombian case.” For her, it was essential to highlight these experiences and question the lack of public policies addressing their specific needs.
Stories of resilience: The voices of Rosa Durán and Andreina Gnecco
In her work, Mariana captures the stories of resilient women, struggling to keep their communities alive despite climate adversities. One of these women is Rosa Durán, a leader in the Indigenous Curripaco reserve in Guainía. Despite living near one of the country’s most important water bodies, increasingly frequent droughts have prevented her crops from reaching harvest, putting her community’s food security at risk.
Similarly, Andreina Gnecco, a teacher in La Guajira, has watched how the lack of rain has reduced farming possibilities in her region. “The water shortage not only affects agriculture but also fishing, which is impacted by shrinking water bodies and contamination from illegal mining,” she says. These stories illustrate how climate change is devastating local economies whilst also intensifying the poverty and marginalization faced by vulnerable populations who are often overlooked by the state.
The challenge of finding gender-disaggregated data
One of the main obstacles Mariana faced in her research was the lack of gender-disaggregated data on the effects of climate change in Colombia. “The impacts are measured in general terms, without clear distinctions on how certain populations, especially women, are specifically affected,” she notes. Without gender-specific data, policymakers cannot accurately assess the unique challenges that rural women face.
To overcome this challenge, Mariana grounded her reporting in the personal narratives of women leaders facing the everyday reality of the climate crisis. “These women’s testimonies are crucial for understanding the true scale of the problem and demonstrating the urgency of adopting a gender perspective in the fight against climate change,” she adds. Through these personal narratives, Mariana not only humanizes climate data but also emphasizes the unique experiences of women and marginalised communities that are missing in non-disaggregated data.
Continuing to fight for a gender and climate just world
For Mariana, her work doesn’t end with publishing her report. Her future plans include continuing to raise awareness about the effects of climate change on women and strengthening the participation of environmental women leaders in policy-making. “It’s essential for women to play an active role in decision-making processes, as they are on the front lines of the crisis and have invaluable knowledge on how to mitigate its effects,” she affirms.
Moreover, Mariana believes that the COP16 summit held in Colombia this year presents a unique opportunity to prioritize the climate agenda with an inclusive approach. However, she also acknowledges that much work remains to ensure that a gender perspective is effectively integrated into climate policies and actions.
Mariana Guerrero Álvarez’s work is a reminder that the fight against climate change must also be a fight for gender justice. Her stories remind us that the climate crisis endangers not only the environment but also the lives of people who depend on it, especially rural women. Her work calls on us to rethink our approach to the climate crisis, ensuring that the voices of those most affected are heard, valued, and prioritized. We must improve the quality of climate data, to ensure the unique challenges and realities of women like Rosa Durán, and Andreina Gnecco are recognised and addressed.
