100 Women PathwayLet's create a pathway to a more diverse and inclusive environmental movement.Diverse leadership and gender equity are essential to innovation and success at all levels of the environmental movement, from the field to the boardroom. Data shows that women's leadership and participation are critical to effective and lasting solutions to the environmental crisis and intersecting issues like public health, education and racial and social justice.Yet, according to Green 2.0, about 70% of staff at environmental organizations are white. And while women represent more than 60% of staff at green groups, they hold less than 30% of the executive director or CEO roles. The conservation sector has made great strides in increasing diversity in recent years, but change needs to happen even faster.At Planet Women, we want to build a powerful group of diverse women leaders in order to propel them into key leadership positions across the environmental field. Planet Women's 100 Women Pathway project is designed to give these women the tools and support they need to step into senior roles-roles that will give them an equal seat at the table when it comes to guiding the global response to climate change, environmental injustice, the extinction crisis and gender inequity.
The goal: Double the number of women*, particularly women of color, in C-suite roles at environmental organizations over the next five years.
How does the 100 Women Pathway work?Planet Women is partnering with female CEOs and executives of environmental organizations to bring together 100 women who are poised to lead. The 100 Women Pathway offers a transformational journey of personal growth and empowerment that will help each woman develop their own individualized pathway to executive leadership. The time commitment for participants is anticipated to be two hours per month.Over six months, four cohorts of 25 women will meet on a monthly basis for skill-building workshops, personal growth sessions, mentorship and educational training. In addition to five virtual meetings, each cohort will attend one 2-day, in-person workshop. Workshops will be organized regionally. Sessions may include:
- An introduction to Planet Women's Regenerative Leadership curriculum, which brings a deeper awareness of ways that colonialism, marginalization and oppression shape the conservation sector - and helps uncover personal gifts and talents that can create meaningful solutions.
- Mentorship and wisdom from current women executive leaders.
- Exploration of the power of their personal narrative and how to tell stories for influence.
- Practical guidance on fostering inclusive, power-sharing work cultures.
- Insight into how bias, power dynamics and various leadership styles impact organizational culture and conservation outcomes.
- Supportive group and peer mentorship sessions that will continue beyond the six-month program via an alumni network.
In March 2023, all 100 women will be brought together for an in-person summit, featuring trailblazing women leaders and luminaries.
We are looking for women leaders who are:- Currently working in conservation or environmental non-profits based in the US.
- Capable of leading in a C-suite level role in a conservation or environmental non-profit in the next few years.
- Ready to embrace a new leadership model and champion other women and people of color for leadership roles.
- Passionate about driving cultural transformation within the conservation sector to ensure more inclusive, supportive work environments where women and people of color can thrive.
- Willing to share personal journey and expertise and mentor others along their pathway.
* The women and female in Planet Women includes cisgender women, transgender women, femme/feminine-identifying, genderqueer and nonbinary individuals, who have historically been excluded from the environmental space.