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WOMEN LEADERS FOR PLANETARY HEALTH AN INTERVIEW WITH NICOLE DE PAULA
DR. NICOLE DE PAULA Founder & Executive Director of the Women Leaders for Planetary Health VIEW CONTRIBUTOR’S BIO
Given the complex nature of the pandemic, the movement towards a greener, more sustainable recovery needs a multi-faceted approach. Dr. Nicole de Paula started the Women Leaders for Planetary Health (WLPH) with these important goals at the forefront, “bridging the gaps between health and environmental sectors through gender-just solutions”. Having launched at the UN Climate Summit in December 2019, WLPH aims to “develop women’s leadership in the evolving field of Planetary Health, improve women’s health, and safeguard a clean environment to leave no one behind”.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO LAUNCH THE WOMEN LEADERS FOR PLANETARY HEALTH? Have you ever seen a girl or a woman hesitate to take center stage or to speak their mind, even if they have all the knowledge and legitimacy to do so? Women Leaders for Planetary Health (WLPH) is a network, knowledge, and advocacy hub that operates at the intersection between human and ecosystem health, focusing on gender equity. I launched this initiative at the UN Climate Summit (COP 25) in Madrid, and I was inspired by the support and interest of so many people. Our mission today is to bridge the gaps between environmental and human health through gender-just solutions, ultimately influencing social and behavioural change for planetary health. By reducing the gap that remains for women in leadership roles, I am convinced that we can empower their voices to be able to influence just planetary health solutions, focusing on the Global South. We are unique because we are the first organization to concurrently focus on planetary health and gender equality, emphasizing the importance of acting on interlinked themes that remain tackled in a fragmented way: environmental and human health.
