Researcher and writer on gender and environmental justice
WELCOME
I work as an independent researcher and consultant on gender and environmental issues.
With forty years experience of academic research, teaching and management, and over twenty years experience of volunteering in women's and environmental organisations, I now work independently on projects which will advance environmental and gender justice.
It is my deeply held belief that there can be no solutions to environmental problems without addressing social injustices, and that social and environmental problems, and their solutions, need to be understood as interconnected.
Highlights
August 2025
Feminist Climate Policy in Industrialised States. A Gender Just Climate Emergency Response is now published by Routledge. More details and order here
Edited by Susan Buckingham, Martin Hultman, Gunnhildur Lily Magnusdottir, and Karen Morrow
The book explores ways in which policymakers can overcome institutional barriers and conventions in pursuit of the radical changes necessary for a gender-just climate emergency response.
In 2021, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change acknowledged that addressing the climate emergency must involve social justice and equality. Feminist approaches to decision-making, policy-making, community organising and their underpinning methodologies can enable this. The authors draw critically on case studies, research and interviews with feminist practitioners, legislators and leaders who have implemented significant changes, to signal how change might be achieved and ask what lessons can be drawn. The book posits that we need to ultimately move beyond the gender mainstreaming and gender equality issues which have been integrated into existing – and failing – structures, to more transformative feminist approaches. It concludes by identifying key strands of feminist-oriented praxis that offer the potential to expedite responses to climate change across multiple levels of governance.
With industrialised states shifting rightwards to a politics which diminishes the importance and urgency of gender equality, diversity, human rights and the need for climate action, this volume will inspire, guide, and provide tools for policymakers, politicians, community activists, academics, and students to take transformative action to address the climate emergency.
The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.
2025-2029 BEHAVE Project
I have joined this waste prevention project as its gender equalioty expert.
BEHaviour Analysis and Valorisation for Elevated waste prevention strategies is co-funded under the Interreg Europe Fund of the European Union, 2025 - 2029. BEHAVE explores and valorizes behavioral intelligence to improve waste prevention, separate collection, and litter prevention strategies in public spaces and tourism destinations. The project focuses on understanding the behavior of citizens and users in non-residential areas (tourism destinations, outdoor spaces, city centers) to deploy innovative waste management solutions like Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT), Know-As-You-Throw (KAYT), and Save-As-You-Throw (SAYT) combined with nudging principles, reuse schemes and smart waste management solutions. The goal is to challenge existing policy instruments that aren't delivering expected results outside residential areas and translate behavioural insights into effective circular economy practices. I will be running a workshop on gender equality in waste prevention in Bodø, Norway in Winter 2025/6.
Occupational Science Europe
I have recently give a keynote presentation at the Occupational Science Europe Conference, at Essex University, which gave me an opportunity to talk about the meaning that climate activists give to their work. This includes the activists who have been imprisoned - such as academics, social workers/educators and medical doctors. Engaging with action is a key way in which we can find meaning in this unsustainable world. I spoke as an activist-academic/researcher/writer through my own engagement in climate action/protest.
Ecofeminism: the basics
Throughout the year I am working on a new book 'Ecofeminism: the basics' to be published by Routledge.