March is Women’s History Month and on 8th March every year, the world celebrates International Women’s Day. We’re proud to raise a special salute to some of the women climate journalists among the Climate Tracker family.
Now, the thing is, if we were to try to highlight all the amazing women journalists we’d all be here for a very long time. So we selected some women we’ve been working closely with in the past couple months and who we’re exceptionally elated to have on board. Check out their amazing work and inspirations.
SAHAR MOHAMMED, YEMEN
Sahar has been in the field of scientific journalism since 2018. She was among the few in Yemen reporting on the climate science and the environment and was a Climate Tracker Fellow in 2019. As a Fellow, she produced a number of reports on climate and renewable energy, focusing on Yemen and the Arab World.
In 2020, she became a member of the Humanitarian Journalism Foundation and produced a number of materials on climate change and its impact on people in Yemen.
“One of the challenges I face most in my work is the lack of interest in scientific and environmental journalism. And, the few places that work on this are usually only open for their working staff, which make it harder for me to focus on this field and force me to work on totally different subjects, to maintain my livelihood.”
MARTA MONTOJO, SPAIN
Marta is a climate and a journalism nerd (or a nerd, period). For the past 5 years she’s worked as an environmental journalist with several venues in Spain and globally. As a freelance environmental writer, she is a regular contributor to Spanish publishers like El Confidencial and Ballena Blanca magazine.
She’s also worked with La Vanguardia, eldiario.es, La Marea, Climática, El Ágora, Radio Intereconomía and, more recently, with global media outlets like China Dialogue. Marta is an active member of Clean Energy Wire (CLEW), a network of journalists who cover climate and energy in Europe, and she’s been a part of Climate Tracker’s One Earth fellowship, focusing on reporting sustainable solution stories.
“In a world dominated by men, males have had control over the narrative in the media for centuries. So the majority of the stories that are read, heard or seen in the TV offer an androcentric perspective. Now, women have a historic duty to create a different narrative, for which female journalists must amplify the voice of those who have been systematically marginalised, especially those who are generally the most affected by the climate emergency and other man-made crisis.”
FARAH ATYYAT, JORDAN
Farah started working as a journalist in 2002, in several local, regional and international outlets, including the Jordanian newspaper, Al-Ghad. There, she was lead on the environmental desk. Farah has received many Arab and international awards for her work and has been working as a media trainer since 2013.
Farah believes that during the past several years, women have proven through their work as journalists in various media outlets, that they are able to influence decision-makers and change many policies and strategies that directly affect the lives of citizens and women in particular.
“Women journalists in the Arab world also helped shape media discourse, to one that reflects the reality of Arab women, and how this reality can be improved for the better, despite the fact that women journalists in the Arab world still suffer from inequality in comparison with their male counterparts.”
LYDIAH NYAWIRA, KENYA
Lydiah is a trained broadcast journalist currently working as a multimedia journalist. She believes she’s always had a passion for journalism, a calling towards the profession, which compelled her to focus all her energy into being a journalist. As a full time mother and working woman, Lydiah is an example of the strength women wield.
Christiane Amanpour is Lydiah’s number one inspiration, having a deep admiration for her fearlessness and courage as a woman journalist.
“You need courage, fortitude and determination to do this job and succeed. You have to go the extra mile to make a difference through your reporting, forging reliable networks both in your personal and professional life will change your career trajectory. Never take for granted the enormous responsibility you have to change lives and make a positive contribution to the world.“
LIUBOV GLAZUNOVA, RUSSIA
Liubov is a Russian journalist with a passion for travel, photography and nature. Her name means “love” in Russian and she’s genuinely curious and committed to life-long learning.
Liubov is currently one of our media mentorship fellows and also works full time for the NEWS.ru online outlet as a foreign policy observer. Previously, she wrote for Moskovskij Komsomolets Daily, an influential Russian newspaper, covered foreign affairs, diplomacy, nuclear security and climate, and has reported from the U.S., South Korea, Taiwan, Israel and Germany.
“Maybe it is not so easy to start believing in yourself. I know it. But you don’t really have to be 100% sure in your abilities to make a try. Whether you are applying for a university course, job, or fellowship, just do your best and sometimes it will work. People always see if you love what you do and will appreciate it.”
Read Liubov’s work here and listen to her podcast where she speaks about how young journalists still write great stories even in her country’s authoritarian environment.
GAEA CABICO, THE PHILIPPINES
Meet Gaea Katreena Cabico, a journalist based in the Philippines. She was named after the Greek goddess of the Earth, which is interesting, since her primary beat is the environment and the climate crisis, at Philstar.com.
Gaea’s goal to write more stories about communities and the people on the periphery. She is inspired by women human rights defenders, environmental advocates and educators who are working in an increasingly hostile environment in the Philippines, and women who are at the forefront of asserting their rights and defending their communities from threats.
“To female journalists, we need to push for stories that are both for women and about women because our perspectives matter. We need female voices more than ever.“
Read Gaea’s work here and listen to her podcast here, where she speaks about the importance of community-driven stories in the Philippines.
JENNIGER UGWA, NIGERIA
Jennifer Ugwa is a freelance Investigative Journalist and a graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria Nsukka. With over three years of journalism experience in investigative journalism where she has produced journalism pieces of both text and multimedia contents on environmental, human rights and business issues for international and national online media.
Some of her stories have examined corporate tax fraud and corruption, social justice and gender, health, corruption and climate change. She is a WanaData fellow and a board member of the Climate Tracker African Women in Journalism group. Through her reports, Jennifer holds state and non-state actor accountable. She ‘might’ be caught singing out loud when she is not writing or on a flight.
“Don’t let the fear of failure make you forfeit your future, Start writing, build your network, cherish your ideas but, critisize them too, and then, get it done!”
MARIA DEL MAR, URUGUAY
María is a freelance journalist covering diverse topics, from climate change to urban planning and police violence. She is a small town girl from Uruguay, but with a crazy international family. That’s how she ended up making her life in a big Latin American capital like Santiago de Chile. Amidst protests and social turmoil, she’s learned that the social crisis in Chile has a lot to do with the devastation of natural resources.
So, as a journalist, she wants to contribute to the public discourse and create stories to counteract the devastation.
“Climate action in Latin America has been led by women like Berta Cáceres, Macarena Valdés and many others. Those are the women who inspire me to do environmental journalism. If they can give their all to protect the environment, I can do my part.”
ELZAHRAA JADALLAH, SUDAN
Elzahraa is a Sudanese author, freelance investigative journalist, and reporter based in Khartoum. She engages in-depth reporting and multimedia investigative stories. As a water reporter, she’s been part of the journalistic networks of institutions such as IHE delf, SIWI, NBI, DIRAJ, and Climate Tracker.
She recently shared my experience in this field through a chapter of a book called “Water Conflicts and Cooperation: A Media Handbook”.
“Like any other female journalist working in a country such as Sudan, I face many challenges. Women are denied opportunities and I think women need more space in media, and not just in reporting; also, in decision-making positions. The media industry is far from gender equality in our region and needs true transformation.”
KAREN GIL, BOLIVIA
Karen is an investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker and Bolivian actress. As a journalist, she specialises in human rights issues, of women and indigenous peoples. She’s currently the content director at the digital magazine La Brava, specialized in in-depth journalism. In the more than 10 years that she’s been practicing journalism, Karen has worked in various Bolivian media such as Fides News Agency (ANF), in which she was an editor; La Prensa, Página Siete.
In addition, she’s collaborated with international media such as The Economist and Brecha de Uruguay. She’s also the author of the documentary “Behind the TIPNIS” (2012).
“Since I was a child I wanted to be a journalist and being one has given me the most beautiful experiences of my life. Travel, write, research, meet people, be extremely curious. Of course, it also required me to be in complicated situations or dedicate long hours of my days to it, but since it was something I had always longed for, all those moments were also enriching. I look back, my stories and I realize that the girl that she was was not wrong in dreaming about this profession.”
We’re excited about the fantastic work these women climate journalists have accomplished, in spite of many obstacles and we hope they inspire you as much as they have our team!