The Global Landscapes Forum unveils its 6th annual list of women driving change for people and the planet. Discover their journeys, influences, challenges and vision for the Earth.
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Bonn, Germany (7 March 2025) – On International Women’s Day, and for the sixth consecutive year, the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) celebrates eight intergenerational changemakers shaping a more sustainable future.
From defending land, women’s and Indigenous rights to driving innovation in restoration, science, finance, policymaking and the arts, these leaders are pushing boundaries and creating lasting impact.
Hailing from across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, they take bold, science-backed action rooted in a deep commitment to all life on Earth. Facing challenges head on, they turn expertise into solutions in the form of collective environmental action.
These are the eight women with a new vision for Earth in 2025:
- THE ARTIST: Danielle Khan Da Silva, award-winning queer South Asian–Portuguese photographer, filmmaker, writer, intersectional conservationist and National Geographic Explorer. Using her art as a tool for collective liberation, Khan Da Silva was named a Canadian Top 30 Under 30 Sustainable Leader.
- THE BEE GUARDIAN: Ysa Calderón, founder of the environmental enterprise Sumak Kawsay. A young Quechua descendant and winner of the 2024 Midori Prize for Biodiversity, Calderón preserves and conserves native stingless bees in Peru, restores the land and bolsters local livelihoods – especially for women.
- THE ECOLOGIST: Sonya Dewi, director of Asia for World Agroforestry (ICRAF). Based in Indonesia, Sonya is fascinated with how everything in life is connected through patterns and processes. Dewi and her team have developed a tool to mitigate the climate crisis through sustainable land management.
- THE FUNDRAISER: Rekia Foudel, founder of the Barka Fund, an impact investment group that caters to startups and small and medium enterprises across Sub-Saharan Africa. Born in Niger, Foudel aspires to make climate action equitable and effective.
- THE INNOVATOR: Catherine Nakalembe, Africa director of NASA Harvest and assistant professor at the University of Maryland. Born in Uganda, Nakalembe works to bridge the gap between technology, geography and food security by leveraging satellite data and artificial intelligence.
- THE LAWMAKER: Célia Xakriabá, Indigenous federal deputy for Minas Gerais, Brazil. As a 13-year-old, she spoke in front of Congress, then became the first Indigenous woman to be elected federal deputy in her state. In 2024, Xakriabá won the Congresso em Foco Award for best deputy in the Climate and Sustainability category.
- THE LEADER: Subhra Bhattacharjee, director general of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Bhattacharjee, from India, has worked to advance policies and solutions that address climate change, deforestation and social inequities, forging partnerships across governments, NGOs, businesses and communities.
- THE PROTECTOR: Dayana Blanco, co-founder of the Uru Uru Team, a grassroots initiative dedicated to restoring Uru Uru Lake in Bolivia by tenets of Aymara culture. Blanco, a young Indigenous woman, also founded Warmi Shining, an organization focused on educating young, rural girls in the Bolivian highlands.
“Throughout this journey, I’ve remained committed to making tangible differences in African farmers’ lives.” – Catherine Nakalembe.
“Many seem to think the environment is just about trees, but in reality, we are the environment.” – Célia Xakriabá.
“Every one of us is a storyteller, and every time we open our mouths, we have opportunities to shift the landscape.” – Danielle Khan Da Silva.
“The biggest challenge I face as an Indigenous woman is the expectation that a man should be the one leading solutions.” – Dayana Blanco.
“The critical turning point needed in finance is the recognition and systematic support of locally-led climate solutions.” – Rekia Foudel.
“I hope more people will care more about nature and reflect it in their daily lives and decisions.” – Sonya Dewi.
“Differences across groups, peoples and nations will need to be resolved through good faith dialogue that recognizes differences of opinions, interests and values.” – Subhra Bhattacharjee.
“When we invest in community-led solutions, we are not just protecting nature – we are shaping a more just, resilient and hopeful future for all.” – Ysa Calderón.
See these women in action, read their own words, and learn more about their journeys at bit.ly/8Women2025.
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NOTE TO EDITORS
- Learn more about the 8 Women with a New Vision for Earth in 2025 at bit.ly/8Women2025 (embargoed until 7 March 2025, 14:00 CET)
- Access visuals of this campaign in our Trello board here
- For more information, unbranded photos, to arrange interviews, or access this release in Spanish, French and Portuguese, contact Kelly Quintero (k.quintero@cifor-icraf.org).
ABOUT THE GLF
The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) is the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on integrated land use, connecting people with a shared vision to create productive, profitable, equitable & resilient landscapes. It is led by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), in collaboration with its co-founders UNEP and the World Bank, and its charter members. Learn more at www.globallandscapesforum.org.
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