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2.5 Dr. Laura Westra (1933)
Our final championess of ecological integrity is our very own Dr. Laura Westra. For
more than 27 years, Dr. Westra has organized and led the Global Ecological Integrity
Group, a group of more than 250 scholars, lawyers, doctors and independent
researchers from a variety of disciplines who come together to “push the boundaries
of scholarly endeavour through inter- and trans-disciplinary engagement on matters
affecting and governing the sustainability of life for both present and future generations” (Westra 2019).
Aside from her work with the Global Ecological Integrity Group, Dr. Westra is a
Professor, an author with more than one hundred titles to her name, and an enthusiastic speaker regarding issues concerning environmental policy and ethics. She also
serves on the board for many professional organizations.
Like the women above, Dr. Westra is passionate about the intersection between
ethics and our environment. She advocates tirelessly through her teachings, presentations and publications for ecological integrity and the responsibility of humans as
a global society. Her work fosters communication, inspires responsible action and
encourages collaboration, all results that are characteristically tied to women-led
initiatives.
Besides the similarities in their chosen passions, the aforementioned women
illustrate for us a pattern that clearly emerges when women apply themselves in the
ecological integrity arena. Whether these women chose their path or unexpectedly
found themselves in the middle of it, their success provides us with an understanding of what attributes make women uniquely suited for the job.
3 Whether Willing or Unwitting, Why Do They Act
and What Sets Them Apart?
Historically, studies of environmental conflict have shown that “because of their close
contact with the environment and use of natural resources, women are often affected by
environmental conflicts” (Asteria et al. 2013) on a much larger scale than men.
3.1 Recognizing Skills and Characteristics
Women continue to demonstrate via their movements and actions that they have an
immense capacity to serve as educators, leaders, and experts when it comes to protecting the environment, resources, and communities around them.
Global Fund for Women reported in their 2019 Earth Day piece that:
Protecting land and natural resources from climate change, increasing state corruption,
megaprojects spearheaded by powerful corporations, and systemic armed violence have
S. M. Lange
2.5 Dr. Laura Westra (1933)
Our final championess of ecological integrity is our very own Dr. Laura Westra. For
more than 27 years, Dr. Westra has organized and led the Global Ecological Integrity
Group, a group of more than 250 scholars, lawyers, doctors and independent
researchers from a variety of disciplines who come together to “push the boundaries
of scholarly endeavour through inter- and trans-disciplinary engagement on matters
affecting and governing the sustainability of life for both present and future generations” (Westra 2019).
Aside from her work with the Global Ecological Integrity Group, Dr. Westra is a
Professor, an author with more than one hundred titles to her name, and an enthusiastic speaker regarding issues concerning environmental policy and ethics. She also
serves on the board for many professional organizations.
Like the women above, Dr. Westra is passionate about the intersection between
ethics and our environment. She advocates tirelessly through her teachings, presentations and publications for ecological integrity and the responsibility of humans as
a global society. Her work fosters communication, inspires responsible action and
encourages collaboration, all results that are characteristically tied to women-led
initiatives.
Besides the similarities in their chosen passions, the aforementioned women
illustrate for us a pattern that clearly emerges when women apply themselves in the
ecological integrity arena. Whether these women chose their path or unexpectedly
found themselves in the middle of it, their success provides us with an understanding of what attributes make women uniquely suited for the job.
3 Whether Willing or Unwitting, Why Do They Act
and What Sets Them Apart?
Historically, studies of environmental conflict have shown that “because of their close
contact with the environment and use of natural resources, women are often affected by
environmental conflicts” (Asteria et al. 2013) on a much larger scale than men.
3.1 Recognizing Skills and Characteristics
Women continue to demonstrate via their movements and actions that they have an
immense capacity to serve as educators, leaders, and experts when it comes to protecting the environment, resources, and communities around them.
Global Fund for Women reported in their 2019 Earth Day piece that:
Protecting land and natural resources from climate change, increasing state corruption,
megaprojects spearheaded by powerful corporations, and systemic armed violence have
S. M. Lange