The world is changing; rapidly, and the urgency to work towards a more sustainable future for our planet but moreover, the survival of humanity, is more crucial than ever. Our disconnect to nature is out of balance, and we are seeing the effects; years of drought, ravaging fires, floods, typhoons, biodiversity loss – the threats are endless, but the solutions have been staring us right in the face. As we have heard and seen at the recent CoP 28, we need to take immediate action on climate change, coupled with innovative and bold new policies reflecting the 21st Century, where sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive, but in fact, closely aligned.
We are being challenged as to how we respond if we are to continue living the lifestyle, we have become accustomed to. Unless we start to integrate nature-based solutions into our economic focus and invest in our natural capital, we are looking at more disastrous events unfolding across the Planet. It is time to invest in our future, and to really understand our connection with nature and the role we, as women, can play for a sustainable future for generations to come.
In 2023, we have seen the continuation of wars, political instability, economic challenges, and natural disasters. And on the 3rd day of 2024, the situations are not abating. I believe that global, environmental woes are largely due to lack of leadership and action. Would things be different if a woman was at the helm, steering the ship at a political or business level? There are some great examples of women in prominent positions, who have led or are leading their countries like former Prime Ministers Jacinda Ardern from New Zealand and Ms Sanna Marin from Finland, or Melinda French Gates, one of the most powerful women in philanthropy as a co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This also rings true in senior management roles, where women are paving the way for the youth of today, for the tomorrow’s future.
Women lead differently – we lead rationally and logically, but moreover in times of crisis, does our instinctive, emphatic nature also kick in to make sound, yet considerate decisions? Women bring a different perspective, and based on leadership theory research, there are two specific leadership orientations; task oriented and interpersonal-oriented/ transformational leadership. The latter is largely associated to women (1) and is defined as being more empathetic, democratic, and participative with a greater emphasis on interpersonal skills (2). Sustainability and environmental concern, social responsibility, globalization, and the need for ethical organizational dynamics suggest that transformational leadership could be the best leadership style to drive sustainable outcomes for organizations and maybe even for the future of our planet.
Therefore, it is essential that women have an opportunity to hold leadership positions to drive a more sustainable organization, and education is key. Education is imperative in gender equity and achieving sustainable development and women’s empowerment. Moreover, it is extremely important to develop initiatives in sustainable leadership education for women, to acquire the skills and competencies in leadership.
In 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and incorporated, as part of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” and to “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” (3) Sustainability and gender equity are essential and it has been acknowledged and recognised that sustainability is not possible without gender equality (4, 5). Women’s empowerment is essential for expanding economic growth and achieving social and sustainable development.
I have lived and worked in Dubai, UAE for 5.5 years, and I have been impressed and encouraged to see how women play such a significant role and hold senior, leadership positions across various sectors. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is committed in ensuring that women have equal opportunities and are part of the decision-making process for a fair, equitable and just, sustainable society. The participation of women in the UAE Cabinet is amongst the highest in the world, with the UAE empowering and promoting gender equality and inclusion. This way, the UAE empowers and promotes the political inclusion of all.
I have attended a few Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable energy events also known as WiSER, as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainable Week hosted by Masdar. WiSER is an initiative and platform officially launched alongside the 70th UN General Assembly in 2015 to inspire women and girls to play a more active role in addressing sustainability challenges. Ministers, government representatives, knowledge experts, industry thought leaders, managers, and youth – comprised of both females and males, gather to engage in productive, roundtable debates and discussions around the designated theme set each year.
We are currently in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a period of significant change and focus on digital revolution, but we are also living in the Anthropocene – the current geological era where human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment. The current Fourth Industrial Revolution is fundamentally changing the way we live, work, and relate to one another and our connection, or disconnect to the natural world.
The speed of innovation and breakthroughs is evolving at a faster pace than previous industrial revolutions, disrupting industry sectors and transforming entire systems of production, management, governance and even humanity, with emerging technology such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, autonomous vehicles, 3-D printing, biotechnology, renewable energy, and storage. Whilst there are exciting times ahead, what does this mean for environmental sustainability and the role of women to play a key role in this new era?
When women are provided with the opportunity to study, work and be part of the decision-making process, things change. In many parts of the world, women are still not considered as equals and their potential not realised to the fullest. Gender inequalities are closely linked to poverty and instability and as a result, countries hinder themselves from economic development and progress as well as not being able to meet their national or international development targets such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Just imagine a world based on clean energy, thriving biodiversity, sustainable cities, communities, and economic growth. It is possible. However, the reality is that this requires gender equity; equal participation and leadership of women to have their voices heard across the spectrum; business, politics, technology, entrepreneurship, and contribute to the global economy. Gender equality and women leadership is the key to unlocking economic development growth and drive positive, social, and environmental impacts towards a sustainable future to achieve the overall premise of the UN Sustainable Development Goals – “the desire to create a future where there is no poverty, the planet is protected, and all the people enjoy peace and prosperity”. Women’s representation and leadership appear to drive better environmental outcomes. Countries with higher percentages of women in parliament, tend to adopt stricter climate change policies (UNWomen, Feb 2022).
Women are powerful agents of change, yet still underrepresented globally in decision-making roles within politics, businesses, and communities. Is it time for a shake up?
- Alonso-Almeida, M.D.M.; Perramon, J.; Bagur-Femenias, L. Leadership styles and corporate social responsibility management: Analysis from a gender perspective. Bus. Ethics 2017, 26, 147–161.
- Northouse, P.G. Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice, 4th ed.; Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 2017; pp. 1–327
- The United Nations (UN). Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; UN: New York, NY, USA, 2015. Available online: http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=E (accessed on 10 June 2019).
- Alarcón, D.M.; Cole, S. No sustainability for tourism without gender equality. J. Sustain. Tour. 2019, 27, 903–919.
- UN Women. Turning Promises into Action: Gender Equality in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 2018. Available online: http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/ publications/2018/sdg-report-gender-equality-in-the-2030-agenda-for-sustainable-development-2018-en. pdf?la.en&vs.4332
