Step Forward for Equality
Earth Day 22 April 2026
Connecting climate change with gender equality is a challenge. While the issue of climate has become politicized in recent years, it has always unequally affected women and girls, truly making it a women’s rights issue. Addressing the climate crisis is an opportunity to address gender norms and change them as we build a better world for women and girls.
This Earth Day, we are taking a “Step Forward for Equality.” This campaign will focus on awareness and education, highlighting the links between gender equality and climate justice. While climate justice has been a challenge to embrace, Zontians have always been the first to understand how women are disproportionately affected by climate crises. By focusing on gender-equality in climate policies and taking local actions, we know that we will be taking a step in the right direction.
2026 Theme: Step Forward for Equality
The campaign will use the symbol of the footprint. This symbolizes:
- The carbon footprint we leave on the planet.
- The process of understanding how climate justice takes steps and cannot be solved overnight.
The connection that every step toward climate justice or every step toward gender equity correlates with a step forward for the other issue.
Goals:
- Raise awareness on the impact that climate change has on gender.
- Expand education by offering examples that take action for both gender equality and climate justice.
- Showcase stories of Zontians taking climate action around the world and their plans to continue to take steps forward.
- Increase amplification of like-minded organizations through an endorsed statement.
Planned Actions:
- Step Forward Activity
Through this physical activity, members will gain an understanding of how climate change affects everyone across the globe. Climate-related questions will be asked one at a time and members will be asked to “take a step forward if” that event has occurred in their lifetime.
- Pairing Gender Equality with Climate Justice
Just as our shoes are a pair, so are the issues of gender equality and climate justice. Using a template included in the toolkit, members will be asked to draw or write about why gender equality is important to them on the right footprint (gender RIGHTS). On the left footprint, members will be asked to draw or write about what impact they want to make on the globe to secure climate justice (what will be LEFT?). Please email the final image to [email protected].
- International Statement
International will release a written statement on Earth Day to be shared with like-minded organizations and partners.
Toolkit:
- Step Forward for Equality logo | JPEG | PNG
- Step Forward Activity Questions | PDF
Have participants line up along one side of the the meeting space, shoulder-to-shoulder, facing the moderator on the other side of the room. The moderator will read a statement starting with "Take a step forward if..." If the participant has done the action, they take a step forward. At the end, the moderator will read an impact statement on how every step the participants took represents how they are impacted by climate justice.
- Pairing Gender Equality with Climate Justice template | PDF
Download or print this template and use your own creativity to explore the connection between climate justice and gender equality. GENDER RIGHTS: On the right footprint, draw or write about why gender equality is important to you. WHAT WILL BE LEFT: On the left footprint, draw, write or design what impact you want to make on the globe to secure climate justice. Please email the final image to [email protected].