Five Climate Leaders, Two Questions… Part 1

By: Zainab Bie, Girl Rising Student Ambassador & Climate Advocate, India

Hii, I’m Zainab Bie. I work in the policy and communications space in the climate justice world. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of being surrounded by some of the most inspiring women I know, young climate leaders whose energy, passion, and vision have shaped not just my understanding of this work but also the way I show up in it.

Throughout my journey, I’ve constantly asked myself why we don’t hear more from these women, why their voices often get buried under the noise, despite the fact that they’re doing some of the most meaningful, grounded, and forward-thinking work out there. Being in rooms with them, watching them speak truth to power, build movements, shape policy, and hold space for others, it’s been fuel for my own fire.

This piece is my small attempt to pass the mic. To not just talk about what they do, but to understand who they are. What keeps them going? Where does their clarity come from? What are they thinking when they walk into rooms where decisions are being made for millions?

I finally got the chance to sit down with a few of these phenomenal women while we were all moving through different international climate conferences. What you’ll read here are their reflections, their stories, their perspectives, in their words. This is what it’s like to be a young woman advocating for justice in the very rooms where the future is being debated.

Fatemah Sultan, Pakistan

I’m Fatemah, a 22-year-old climate activist from Karachi, Pakistan. Karachi is one of the biggest cities in the world, 22 million people, mainly immigrants who moved here after the partition of the Indian subcontinent. It’s a very multicultural environment. I have a very multicultural background from South Asia, and that is part of the reason why I'm a climate activist. It’s very important for me to preserve these cultures.

Being a part of international climate change and climate justice convenings is very important to me.  Pakistan was born from socialist, leftist principles that I align with today.  But it’s become a very conservative culture, where I feel like women's voices get a lot more silenced now than they probably did in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. For me, it’s about connecting with that intergenerational justice aspect. Women were the ones at the forefront of creating the country. The independence movement and post-colonial struggles. It's vital that women in Pakistan feel liberated outside of the traditional norms of the trajectory that we go through, not just in climate change. You have the right to choose and grow how you want to.

Sumaya Mohammed, Ireland and Somalia

“Hello! My name is Sumaya, a 19-year-old climate activist from Ireland and Somalia. I got into climate activism when I was 12 after receiving a climate education in school, something that shouldn’t be a privilege. I learned about how intersectional and how dire the situation is at hand. I felt a lot of eco-anxiety. A few friends and I organized what became the biggest climate protest in Cork, Ireland, at the time. That led to founding the Student Climate Action Network and now I serve as Secretary General of Somali Youth for Sustainability.

When you’re young, you have challenges actually getting people to take you seriously. When you’re a young girl, you have another barrier of getting people to take you seriously. You have to amplify your voice two times as loud as a boy. But sometimes in these spaces, there are a lot of people who usually would be left behind, who are amplified in these types of spaces and communities in civil society, which is excellent. We have the Women and Gender Constituency, which amplifies and pushes the voice of young girls and gender diverse people. 

Fernanda Lagoeiro, Brazil

Hello. I’m Fernanda, a 23-year-old journalist from Brazil. I’ve been working on gender issues since 2021 and currently serve as a communications officer for an organization focused on gender and climate justice in the Global South, especially Brazil.

In big climate spaces like the UN conferences, the biggest challenge is access. We’re doing important work at home, but when it comes to decision-making spaces, especially on gender and climate, it’s hard to even get a seat at the table. I’m happy to see the gender agenda gaining more traction this year, especially here at Subsidiary Body (A UN climate conference), but it’s still a fight.

Being a young woman of color from the Global South in these spaces means being challenged every day. In Brazil, we still face serious racial inequalities. I carry that struggle too. We’re constantly pushing to be heard, pushing for more space, more panels, more inclusion. At the same time, people want to hear from us—especially with COP30 happening in Brazil—but we’re still figuring out, even with our own government, how to move forward. We have to speak up and make sure our issues are part of the global climate conversation.

Praneetha Monipi, India

I’m Praneetha Monipi, a conservation scientist from India working on human-wildlife conflict and intersectional conservation policy. At the heart of my work is the belief that conservation must be rooted in community and equity.

Being a young woman in this field means constantly pushing against barriers. So many spaces still function as boys’ clubs. I’ve had to speak  10 times louder just to be heard. I've seen my ideas ignored until they’re repeated by a male colleague, who then gets celebrated.

And it’s not just professional spaces -- it’s personal safety too. Whether I’m filming in a forest or walking through a tourist site, I’ve faced harassment, threats and intimidation. This is the reality for so many women in the climate and conservation space.

But I’m not backing down. More women are speaking up, taking their place, and demanding to be heard. Allies must do more than stay out of the way. We need intent. Not just words. Intent.

Sama Samy, Egypt

My name is Sama Samy. I’m a 21-year-old climate advocate, currently studying Nanotechnology and Nanoelectronics Engineering at Zewail City. I’ve been involved in climate action since 2019, launching waste to furniture projects in my hometown, running eco-camps in rural Egypt, and translating climate content into Arabic to expand access across the Global South.

Being a young woman in international climate spaces is both empowering and overwhelming. At first, I felt I had to do everything, say everything, all at once because I was representing not just myself, but young women like me. Over time, with guidance from mentors, I learned to focus my energy where it matters most. Now, when I speak, I know I’m heard. And when I act, I know I’m part of something bigger. Climate justice needs all of us…and it starts with making space for every voice.