How Lifting Women and Girls Out of Poverty Helps the Environment 🌏

There’s an undeniable truth out there that’s both powerful and wildly underrated: when women rise, the planet does too.

Turns out, giving women and girls the tools to escape poverty isn’t just a moral or economic win—it’s a massive environmental one. And this isn’t just feel-good fluff. There’s real-world evidence, incredible stories, and a lot of social enterprise magic behind it

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More Equality = Less Environmental Pressure

When women are trapped in poverty, they often turn to whatever means are available—no matter how environmentally destructive—just to meet basic needs. That might mean chopping down trees for firewood, farming on already-exhausted land, or relying on cheap, single-use materials.

But lift those same women up with economic opportunity? The story changes. They’re able to choose more sustainable practices, protect their environment, and build stronger communities.

That’s exactly what brands that we offer here at Jade and May like The Offspring Project. They house and employ women in India who’ve survived exploitation, giving them medical attention, education and teaching them skills to create stunning homewares and textiles (you’d love them, trust me)—and with every stitch, they’re rewriting their futures, their children's future.. and more

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Educating Girls = Cooling the Planet

This isn’t just a poetic idea. Project Drawdown—basically one of the many climate folks we should all be listening to—ranked educating girls as one of the top climate solutions worldwide. Seriously. Ahead of electric cars.

Why? Because when girls are educated:

• They tend to marry later and have fewer children, which reduces future carbon impact

• They gain more influence in environmental policy and activism

• They teach sustainability to their families and communities

• And they’re more likely to adopt eco-conscious behaviors and green technologies

Take CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education) in sub-Saharan Africa. Their model supports girls through school, then helps them become leaders in sustainable agriculture and business. Girls who were once on the edge of survival are now teaching climate-smart farming and running eco-friendly enterprises.

Education is the slow-burning, long-lasting climate fix we’ve all been sleeping on. And when we pair it with employment in ethical industries, the impact gets even bigger.

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When Women Spend, the Earth Wins

Here’s a stat worth framing: women reinvest up to 90% of their income back into their families and communities versus around 30–40% of men's income

That means that when women earn through sustainable work, their communities get stronger—access to clean water improves, schools thrive, reforestation projects take root, and food security increases. Eco-impact is baked into every transaction.

When you buy from a brand that supports women and respects the planet, you’re not just buying a product—you’re buying into a better future.

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A Ripple Effect That Changes Everything

Empowering women and girls doesn’t just change lives. It heals ecosystems. It stabilizes communities. It draws carbon out of the air and puts hope back in the soil. It's not a side note to climate action—it is climate action.

And when your purchase supports ethical, sustainable, natural-fiber products like ours, you’re joining a global community of changemakers who believe fashion and homewares can be a force for good.

✨ Ready to be part of the ripple?
Start with our gift sets that give back,  or treat yourself to some new glassware, upcycled from glass bottles collected from landfill by the team at Bali Street Mums or treat yourself to natural fiber pyjamas made with purpose in our women owned and managed factory in Bali

Because when women rise, the planet exhales—and we’re here for it