Sophie Handford, climate change warrior
Last year was truly Sophie Handford’s time to shine. Not only did the Kapiti teen, considered by some to be Aotearoa’s Greta Thunberg, spearhead the hugely successful school climate strikes around the country, she also became the country’s youngest councillor – at 18 – and was named joint Wellingtonian of the Year.
Do you see your generation as being at the vanguard of gender equality?
I see the generation that I am part of as having open minds and open hearts, but also strong passion and drive for seeing equality and justice in all of its forms.
How do you see your roles in helping build a more gender-equal world?
Through my role in School Strike 4 Climate NZ and also as an elected member on the Kapiti Coast District Council, I have the chance to uplift the voices of women and those from marginalised communities. We need to hear the voices and stories of women omen from all backgrounds. Empowering women and girls plays a key role in moving towards climate justice and living in harmony with our environment. As my second job, I work for a science and technology group for girls called the GO Club.
What’s your message to others who feel climate change is too big to tackle on a personal level?
Any action counts. You can be intentional with your actions and choose what kind of impact you want to make. Because with each day and each decision, you do have a choice about what kind of impact you want to make. Start small and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to snowball these actions into doing something you didn’t think you could! Link up with friends and family to challenge each other also.
What are the challenges facing women with regards to climate change?
We are in the middle of a climate crisis right now. This looks like lengthened droughts,droughts flooding, floo higher temperatures and melting glaciers at unprecedented rates. Women will be more vulnerable as many women worldwide rely on crop harvest, water resource and natural resources to make a living. There are then social, political and economic barriers which inhibit them from being able to cope with these negative impacts. Women also have an unequal access to decision-making opportunities in the political space as this is dominated by males. This creates a risk that adaptation and emissions reduction methods are designed with men at the centre and therefore disadvantage women.
What does an equal world look like to you?
One where the success of a woman is the success of everyone. At the moment, I feel like it is often thought that the success of a woman comes at the expense of that of a man, but I think when we see women rise up, our society can become a more inclusive, kind and compassionate place.