From middle school classes to choosing a career, what clouds the bright minds of young women when it comes to science and technology? The answers lie somewhere within us. Deeply Rooted Societal perceptions and attitudes – what young women (and their communities) think they can or “should” pursue professionally. The idea of being a female scientist, engineer or researcher apparently does not seem achievable or attractive (in many senses of the word).
This is truly unfortunate in many ways. Missed career opportunities for womenand the impact it could have had on the science and technology field in general. But I would argue that we are missing a huge opportunity right in front of us: Climate EntrepreneurshipThe imperative to save the planet before it’s too late has never required new thoughts and ideas more than now. After all, our chances of achieving our climate goals are, as the UN warned last year, “Quick closure” – If there was ever a time to bring in new talent, it was today (yesterday, actually).
But it’s not all doom and gloom: there are ways to include women in the climate entrepreneurship field, and in fact, women have a unique role to play in this field. Given that women are more likely to be adversely affected by climate change than men (as they are statistically poorer and less resourced groups), female climate entrepreneurs have a unique opportunity to help other women around the world.
In this article, we explore the challenges and opportunities, and hear directly from the inspiring young women who attended the event. Earth Award (The world’s largest environmental sustainability competition for young people ages 13-19).
The three biggest challenges
The main challenges women face in STEM fields and entrepreneurship in general are:
- Gender bias and stereotypes: By associating traditionally masculine qualities with careers in STEM and business, young women may be held back by inaccurate perceptions about what they can and can’t do, and even drop out of the race.
- Lack of mentorship and role models: Relatable role models are often cited in recent studies as an effective tool for inspiring, motivating, supporting and informing young people and adults. Academic research typically describes them as:ExampleFor those who encourage imitation, role modeling is cited as a central way in which we grow as human beings, find purpose, progress, and learn to thrive.
- Funding imbalance: The surrounding area 3% of total capital There are now all-female teams in Europe in 2023 (though this does not reflect the number of teams led by women).
Digging a little deeper into these common obstacles, we spoke to some all-female teams from The Earth Prize about their experiences. In fact, both the 2022 and 2023 winning teams were all-female. Adobe (Vietnam) and Delabo (In Turkish). While the Adorbsies team developed biodegradable sanitary napkins made from dragon fruit peel, the Delavo team invented a device that treats and reuses 90% of washing machine wastewater.
Dorothy Tran from Team Adorbsies (a 2022 Earth Prize winner) explained the challenges she faces: “For teens and young women aspiring to become entrepreneurs, we feel the biggest challenge is navigating and overcoming gender stereotypes in the business world. These stereotypes often pose barriers to accessing funding, finding mentors, and being taken seriously in the entrepreneurial community. Additionally, balancing entrepreneurial ambitions with societal expectations around traditional gender roles and responsibilities can be particularly difficult.”
Irmak Zelal Cengiz from the Delavo team (winner of The Earth Prize 2023) said: “Entrepreneurship is a particularly challenging profession due to fierce competition and limited opportunities, but unfortunately it is even harder to become a successful woman entrepreneur from scratch. The biggest challenges for young women entrepreneurs can be summed up as unsupportive investors and allies, insufficient financial and logistical resources, and excessive criticism.”
A great opportunity: women helping women
Did you know that climate change affects more women than men? United Nations Environment, 80 per cent of people displaced by climate change are women and girls, who face increased risks of poverty, violence and unwanted pregnancies as they move to safer areas.
Typically, Women make up the majority of the world’s poor; Not only are they proportionally more dependent on threatened natural resources, but because of their role in social structures, they also have less access to key tools that can help them manage the impacts of climate change (e.g. land, credit, agricultural inputs, decision-making structures, technology, training, extension services, etc.).
Thus, female climate entrepreneurs have the unique potential to not only impact the industry as a whole, but also to lead the way in positively impacting the lives of other women affected by climate-related events.
Tips and advice for women climate entrepreneurs
While campaigning to change both gender bias and funding trends are important actions, one thing we can do is talk to women climate entrepreneurs and share their stories. In doing so, we can contribute accessible role models for future generations, share tips and advice they have found helpful, and even hopefully facilitate mentoring opportunities.
Team DeLab shared their experience with the Earth Prize, explaining that what helped them the most as women climate entrepreneurs was participating in a program like the competition and receiving structured support, including feedback from mentors. Team DeLab’s Irmak explained: ““In the process of launching Delavo, we gained invaluable experience. We witnessed the high potential of inclusive teamwork, the richness of expert feedback and the power of persistent determination to implement our intentions. Meanwhile, participation in The Earth Prize competition provided influential mentorship support and allowed Delavo to be listened to by potential partner companies, which played a key role in Delavo’s success. Therefore, we strongly encourage young entrepreneurs to apply to The Earth Prize and similar programs to receive support for their endeavors.”
Meanwhile, Dorothy Tran from the Adorbsies team explained that her advice is to remain tenacious and resilient when pivoting concepts. “Being an entrepreneur often means stepping out of your comfort zone. Of course, at the beginning of the journey, everything will seem unstable and many of us, including us, will feel like we’re stuck in one place. But that doesn’t mean you’ll fail. It takes a lot of refinement to create something that reflects both your values and the market’s needs.”
The future: efficient climate entrepreneurship
Either way, Irmak and Dorothy hope that more young women will get into climate entrepreneurship, even if it’s just a matter of efficiency. “We hope that in the future, women climate entrepreneurs will have a fair working environment and be able to discover innovative solutions to the climate without facing any difficulties and find the most efficient alternatives to overcome climate-related problems.” Irmak Zelal Cengiz from the Delavo team explained: “In fact, we are giving more voice and ideas for improving the environment.” Dorothy Tran of Team Adorbsies concluded:
If you know a young person aged 13-19 and think this career path would be right for them, encourage them to apply. Earth Award 2025!
Charlotte Tucker as a media specialist Earth Foundation.
