A recent report shows that 70% of the world’s poor are women.
There are many factors that influence this appalling economic disparity. From lack of access to education and resources, insufficient childcare provision to gender discrimination – the list is sadly far too long.
One tragic consequence of this fact is that women are disproportionately affected by climate change. Across the globe, women are often tasked with gathering and producing food, collecting water, and sourcing fuel and heating. According to findings from the UN, if women were given access to the same productive resources as men, this would raise total agricultural output in developing countries by 2.5-4%.
Despite being overwhelmingly impacted by the rise in fires, floods and natural disasters, seats at the table for women to influence change are scarce. Female participation on Climate Finance Mechanism Boards is hitting a high of just 35% and a low of 15%.
The ratio of interest in gender-specific focal points is also completely off balance. The Global Environmental Facility gave men’s initiatives 71% of their focus – as opposed to just 29% for women.
The good news is that Climate Change Gender Action Plans are being initiated across multiple sectors. The world is catching on – but catching up is another story.
This World Entrepreneur Day, we’ve partnered with SeedTribe to highlight female founders tackling climate and social change through entrepreneurship.
“The best step to take to tackle climate change is the first step. By starting now, you will be in the best position to make the biggest impact moving forward.”
Lucy Hughes, Founder, Marinatex
How is your product/service breaking away from established thought patterns on social/environmental initiatives?
MarinaTex is a new material made from fish waste and red algae, designed as a planet conscious alternative to single-use plastic films for the packaging industry. It is particularly suited to packaging applications as it is stronger than LDPE at the same thickness, can fully biodegrade in a home-compostable environment and will not leach harmful toxins and chemicals when doing so.
Additionally, MarinaTex uses food by-products from the fishing industry destined for landfill or extensive processing. By sourcing exclusively from sustainable fisheries, MarinaTex incentivises sustainable practices and simultaneously diverts waste.
Which global social/environmental change projects would benefit most from a stronger female presence?
Not only climate change committees or projects, but corporate advisory boards would benefit from a greater female presence. Boards hold a lot of influence in business decisions and currently they are not representative.
I recently read an article that discovered that oil companies with higher female representation at board level are more likely to have set decarbonisation strategies, showing a positive correlation between gender diversity and improving climate governance.
What are some steps that female entrepreneurs can take to tackle social change, regardless of their industry?
Irrespective of how you identify, the best step to take to tackle climate change in your respective field, is the first step. By starting now, you will be in the best position to make the most impact moving forward.
By being part of a collective of forward-thinking individuals, you will actively add to the community and shape change.
“Women can actively promote methods of adaptation and mitigation. Individually, we can use purchasing initiatives like Olio and Too Good To Go.”
– Stéphanie Tumba, Founder and CEO, Sté Tumba Capital
How is your product/service breaking away from established thought patterns on social/environmental initiatives?
Sté Tumba Capital is a business angel investment vehicle focused on early-stage investments. Since January 2020, we now embed ESG in all our investments. This gives us a unique opportunity to invest in and be at the forefront of all the dramatic changes the world is going through today. We aim to tackle the world’s biggest challenges – including climate change, social inequality, and looking after local communities.
Which global social/environmental projects would benefit most from a stronger female presence?
I believe that one of the top global climate change projects – Environmental Conservation – would benefit commensurately from a stronger female presence.
This is especially true since women have been at the forefront of environmental movements worldwide and represent 51% of humanity. The effects of climate change on individuals are felt unevenly, as as women constitute 70% of the world’s poor, we are the most affected by environmental issues.
We must remember that some women around the world still have a lower status than men. Inequalities remain in terms of decision-making, financial tool availability, land ownership, reproductive health, education and/or simply information. Women are therefore disproportionately vulnerable to environmental changes. In developed countries, the poor and disadvantaged among them are unequally affected and constitute the biggest loss of human life resulting from natural disasters.
What are some steps that female entrepreneurs can take to tackle social change, regardless of their industry?
Women from all around the world can move actively and effectively to promote methods of adaptation and mitigation. The collection and storage of water, the preservation of food and its rationing, and the management of natural resources are areas that women have traditionally mastered.
The most important (and controversial) point in my view is to stabilize birth rates – as well as improve agricultural yield, while decreasing greenhouse gases.
On a personal level, we can be more invested in ethical purchasing through initiatives such as Olio and Too Good to Go.
“Understand your company’s impact on the climate by conducting either a basic impact assessment, or a full-fledged Life Cycle Analysis – then reduce it.”
– Nadia Laabs, Co-Founder, SafetyNet Technologies
How is your product/service breaking away from established thought patterns on social/environmental initiatives?
People don’t intuitively link the ocean to climate change, but diverse and full oceans can actually sequester CO2 up to 4X more than forests can, so protecting and restoring ocean habitats is key. Our technologies enable the fishing industry to catch more sustainably, so being able to help protect and potentially grow fish stocks that enable this ecosystem.
Which global social/environmental projects would benefit most from a stronger female presence?
Investments in climate change initiatives. While climate change projects could benefit from any presence, no matter what gender, there is certainly underrepresentation of females in the investment sector. A stronger female presence can bring another angle to the current predominant bullish male investor scene that may not as easily disregard such important initiatives.
What are some steps that female entrepreneurs can take to tackle social change, regardless of their industry?
Understand their organisation’s impact on the climate and then how to best reduce it – whether that’s conducting a basic impact assessment, or a full-fledged Life Cycle Analysis. Each organisation can help reduce their impact, but firstly, knowledge is key.
“Embrace collaboration and connect with your community to discover where you can add value. Also, be realistic about what problems you can tackle and how.”
– Seun Oratokhai, Founder, Sparkfire Marketing
How is your product/service breaking away from established thought patterns on social/environmental initiatives?
I launched my marketing company, Sparkfire Marketing, in January of this year with a mission to upskill marketing and creative talent and provide them with employment opportunities.
We just launched a pilot of our internship programme this month and are currently training 4 interns from all over Africa. I am also enrolled on the Cambridge Social Ventures incubator programme
There could be a preconception that impact businesses are non-profits or charities. This is not necessarily the case.
Sparkfire Marketing is a business, which needs to generate revenue to operate. The difference is that our revenue generating activities support us to achieve our social impact mission, which is to upskill marketing and creative talent. Our goal is to provide the best marketing support to our clients, generate revenue and impact change by doing amazing work.
Which global social/environmental projects would benefit most from a stronger female presence?
I believe that there is a great opportunity for female founders to support each other through the entrepreneurship journey.
It’s a lonely road for all entrepreneurs, and I have personally benefited from the power of a supportive community. I strongly believe that female founders can play a major role in supporting other founders.
What are some steps that female entrepreneurs can take to tackle social change, regardless of their industry?
I would encourage female entrepreneurs to embrace collaboration and connect with their communities to discover areas where they can add value.
I would also say ‘keep it simple’ by being realistic about what problems to tackle and how.
“Lead by example and show others there are better ways to do things. The pandemic has changed the way we do business – let’s make the positive impact stick.”
– Christina Brauer, Founder, Truh
How is your product/service breaking away from established thought patterns on social/eco-friendly initiatives?
We are trying to pull all levers to improve our product sustainability – going beyond using organic materials and environmentally friendly production processes, fair trade certification in the supply chain and plastic-free packaging which a lot of companies do nowadays.
We start one step earlier: by producing very small initial quantities of our products and only increasing the number of products we produce once we understand what sells – because overproduction is one of the biggest drivers of waste in fashion. This is more costly in the initial production and for the transportation of the smaller badges, but in doing business today the financial cost is not the only factor we have to consider when making decisions.
Another thing we built into our business model from the beginning is that we take our clothes back when babies have grown out of them and giving them to charity, giving the customers who return them a sizeable discount on their next purchase.
Which global social/climate change committees/projects would benefit most from a stronger female presence?
I have not engaged with specific committees and projects, but all my associations are strongly male dominated (and a quick Google of climate change committees has confirmed this). As humanity we are working against a running clock, but we are following the same leaders and using the same methods that got us into this mess to get out there, which is not working.
What are some steps that female entrepreneurs can take to tackle social/climate change, regardless of their industry?
Challenge the status quo, make better choices and talk about it. A lot of things have to change, and change is often uncomfortable and unpopular. We have to lead by example and show everybody that there are different ways of doing things. I went to see my family in Germany recently and actually travelled back by train instead of by plane, which surprised everybody I told about it. But I was much more comfortable and productive on the journey and saved lots of CO2 at the same time. The pandemic has shaken things up so much and disrupted how we do business – we now have to make sure that the positive changes stick.
“Be prepared to make a difference yourself. If you’re not seeing anything changing, stand up and be that change!”
– Jane Brand, Co-Founder, OnSkil
How is your product/service breaking away from established thought patterns on social/environmental initiatives?
We know that recruitment is often based on gut feel and bias, when actually skills and experience should be the driving force behind hiring a candidate. As well as putting skills at the forefront, we provide an anonymous matching service, where contact details are only revealed when the job hunter is ready, so they know that gender, age, race and background is not an influencing factor.
Which global social/environmental projects would benefit most from a stronger female presence?
The tech industry is still very male dominated, but as it’s shaping and creating our future it needs to be representative. According to research by PwC only 3% of young women say tech is their first career choice. We need to inspire and empower them by showcasing representation.
What are some steps that female entrepreneurs can take to tackle social change, regardless of their industry?
Be prepared to make a difference yourself. If you’re not seeing anything changing, stand up and be that change. OnSkil was born out of years of frustration with an outdated industry. We’re proud to be boosting inclusive, less discriminatory hiring processes.
“Social entrepreneurs have a common mission, but fewer resources. Partnership allow you to share audiences and create new products together.”
– Michelle Wiles, Head of Brand, Son of a Tailor
How is your product/service breaking away from established thought patterns on social/environmental initiatives?
The fashion industry tends to focus on surface level initiatives – for example using organic fabric, or compostable packaging. Those are great, but they don’t fix a broken system. At Son of a Tailor, we are focused on a fundamental re-engineering of the fashion supply chain.
The biggest established thought we break away from is the idea of mass production. Our products are made-to-order. That means we flip the dynamic from ‘produce, then sell’ to ‘sell, then produce’. We never overproduce, because we only produce after we sell. Imagine all of the clothing inventory in every city, every store in the world that is marked down, or worse, burned to make use for next season’s styles – gone. That’s waste we’re eliminating.
Another established paradigm that we break? That sustainable goods are somehow worse or more expensive. Made-to-order means we can offer perfect fit to each customer using our Perfect Fit Algorithm. This reduces returns (and emissions from returns) to nearly zero, while our focus on durable materials means clothes last longer. Our lead times are improved from 18 days in 2018 to in 2021, and we match quality high street prices. Our 100% traceable supply chain is not just efficient – it’s ethical. We know all of our garment workers’ names, because we work together so closely.
Which global social/environmental projects would benefit most from a stronger female presence?
You’d think the answer would be ‘women’s products’, and to some extent that is true. But really, any projects that touch women across the supply chain would benefit. Our customers are men. But the majority of seamstresses making our garments are women. Even if we are a men’s fashion brand, we are involved in setting the working environment and enforcing good ethical standards for women. Thus, female presence in our supply chain is important.
What are some steps that female entrepreneurs can take to tackle social/environmental change, regardless of their industry?
Partner across industries. Entrepreneurs in the social/environmental space have a common mission, but fewer resources than big firms. Partnerships allow you to share audiences, and create new products together.
Update your customers on your journey. Sustainability is not a one-solution-fits-all problem. If it was, we’d solve it. It’s also, unfortunately, subject to greenwashing over substance. You will engender more trust by showing what you’ve tested. We began Son of a Tailor by mailing measuring tape and having customers measure themselves. We found it was more accurate to use our algorithm, which we have honed over time.
“Be aware of how your industry impacts climate change. You can educate others, find solutions and put pressure your managers to make changes.”
– Hannah Standen, CEO and Co-Founder, Looped
How is your product/service breaking away from established thought patterns on social/environmental initiatives?
Currently, most of the eco-friendly initiatives are still focused on producing new goods. Our mission is to reduce textile waste in the fashion industry and we recognise that the best way to do this is to utilise materials and textiles already in production. Our vision at Looped is to create a space that celebrates creativity and design while revolutionising the way we view and consume textile waste.
Which social/environment projects would benefit most from a stronger female presence?
Studies show that organisations with larger gender diversity tend to show better performance in implementing policies that tackle climate change. For that reason, I would say that we need more women on all global climate change committees.
What are some steps that female entrepreneurs can take to tackle social change, regardless of their industry?
Be aware, be engaged, and be up to date with how your industry impacts climate change. Through knowledge, you can educate others, come up with solutions and put pressure on your management to make changes. Regardless of how small you think your impact may be, it truly does make a difference.
Small, transparent steps are key. Your customers really believe in what you’re doing. Working towards a sustainable business is something to shout about!
– Aisling Byrne, Founder, Nuw
How is your product/service breaking away from established thought patterns on social/environmental initiatives?
It is my belief that we should take all we enjoy from the old system of consumption. The joy of wearing clothes that are ‘new to you’, the ability to affordably express yourself through fashion and the experience of creating art, and to create circular solutions that achieve the same outcomes – without the impact on both people and the planet.
With Nuw, we are challenging what it means to wear something ‘new’. Why does this need to be brand new off the shop floor? When you get the same joy from wearing something that you have not worn before, and that can be a piece that’s had a life before if came to you, and will have a life after it leaves you too.
Nuw is the app to swap pre-loved fashion. You trade in your own clothes, receive tokens and with your tokens you can take pieces that are ‘new to you’.
Which global climate change committees/projects would benefit most from a stronger female presence?
From my personal experience, I would like to see more women in the impact investment (and investment in general space). There are lots of funds now looking to invest in businesses which work towards one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, just 2.3% of Venture Capital goes to female founders. Looking at the sustainable fashion space, I am so proud to see that almost all of the best known circular fashion platforms are led by women – from ourselves at Nuw, to OnLoan and Hurr Collective, to Stella McCartney and Eileen Fisher.
Women are predominantly leading the change towards a more sustainable future, but we are not given enough of the financial support to do this. We risk, as a society, losing out on industry changing solutions if we allow female founders to fall through due to lack of funding. I fundamentally believe that in order to give more money to women enacting change, there needs to be more female investors – so that the work is being done on both sides to rebalance the current gender imbalance.
What are some steps that female entrepreneurs can take to tackle climate change, regardless of their industry?
This can be done both as an individual and within your business.
It’s even better if your business is not associated specifically with sustainability – you most likely have an audience who may not consider the importance of changing our behaviours yet, and you have the opportunity to really spearhead sustainability within your own industry.
As an entrepreneur there will be a lot of people (whether you know it or not) who look up to you. Making more sustainable choices in your own life and simply talking about them can have a huge influence on other people. It can motivate others to make these changes in their own life, and show how sustainability is touching all aspects of life. For example, you could wear a pre-loved outfit and shout about it on your social media – showing how on-trend you can be while being sustainable. Organise a work event and choose vegan options and biodegradable cups. These are small changes, but when implemented by lots of businesses, they will add up to a significant impact.
In your own business, do a short audit on your operations. List all of the major activities that result in both physical waste (trash) and service waste (electricity). Think of ways you can cut this down. Even better, you could track these as an internal measure of the impact of your business. For example, if you are an e-commerce business, do you use a lot of packaging? You can switch this for biodegradable packaging.
Small, transparent steps are key. Your customers and clients really believe in what you are doing. Working towards more sustainable business operations is something to shout about, as well as helping to better tell your brand story and values.
With women and girls disproportionately affected by climate change and social issues, it’s only right that we should lead the charge for change.
If you’ve created a new process, service or product that’s a game-changer in your industry, you might be eligible for Research and Development Tax Credits. Because we believe in rewarding innovation, we don’t charge a penny to file your claim unless its successful. Have a virtual coffee with us and let us know about the ways you’re impacting social change today!
