Pure Earth marks International Women’s Day each year to raise awareness about pollution’s under-recognized impact on maternal and women’s health and emphasize the crucial role women play in combating pollution’s devastating impacts.
Pure Earth’s Force of Nature awards recognize the strength and achievements of our honorees as well as countless women the world over working every day to solve pollution, protect their families and communities, and advocate on behalf of the most vulnerable.
Pure Earth’s Force of Nature Honorees
2024
Awardees included:
Graciela Montaño – The Executive Chef and Founder of Aura Mexican Cooking and a Pure Earth Ambassador. She is also the author of a collaborative project with Pure Earth, Pure Earth’s Kitchen Cookbook.
Allison Charalambous – The VP of Responsible Sourcing and Sustainability at Brilliant Earth.
Andrea José Castro – A jeweler and the Founder, Creative Director, and CEO of Casa Collab, a collaborative design lab for jewelry and wearable products founded in Peru. Through her company, Andrea has achieved a significant milestone by facilitating the first sales of responsibly mined gold from the Peruvian Amazon to both national and international markets.
Vilma Contreras – The President of the AMATAF Mining Association and Women’s Mining Association of Madre de Dios, Peru. Vilma epitomizes grassroots leadership and environmental stewardship. Her commitment to mercury-free mining and reforestation initiatives underscores the transformative power of community-driven action.
Read more about our 2024 Force of Nature honorees on the Pollution Blog.
2023
Awardees included:
Dani Cutler — A leader in responsible sourcing in the jewelry industry, top supplier of mercury-free arstisanal gold and key to the Pure Earth Pure Gold Auction.
Karen Mathiasen — Former Acting Executive Director, World Bank Group; Commissioner, The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, raising the profile of pollution on global development agenda.
Alicia Ogawa — Pure Earth Board Member committed to encouraging companies and investors to include pollution in their ESG initiatives.
2022
Awardees included:
Carol Browner — the longest serving Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is currently Senior Counsel at Covington & Burling LLP. She has demonstrated a lifelong dedication to protecting vulnerable populations and promoting environmental equity.
Christina Malle — a former human rights lawyer turned goldsmith and advocate for a traceable and transparent jewelry supply chain.
Dr. Netzy Peralta — an anthropologist by training, and also a member of the Nahua community, the largest indigenous group in Mexico. Her personal connection to the indigenous community and insight into local cultural traditions is critical to Pure Earth’s work transitioning artisanal potters to using safe, lead-free glazes under the Barro Aprobado program.
2024 International Women’s Day Webinar
Hidden Hazards: Protecting Maternal Health from Toxic Chemical Pollution
March 5, 2024 at 9am New York / 9am Bogotá / 2pm Accra / 7:30pm Delhi / 8pm Dhaka / 10pm Manila
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2024, join us for an insightful panel discussion that delves into the intersection of heavy metal pollution and maternal health in low- and middle-income countries followed by an audience Q&A.
Learn more about the event here.
About the Women’s Environmental Health Initiative (WEHI)
Pollution has an outsized impact on women because of traditional gender roles, societal restrictions, a lack of opportunities, and poverty. Research in the Lancet Planetary Health found that in 2019, 3.92 million women died from pollution. An estimated 350,000 women died from lead pollution alone.
Through the Women’s Environmental Health Initiative (WEHI), Pure Earth prioritizes women’s health through gender-informed programming. Pure Earth includes cohorts of pregnant and breastfeeding women in its health surveillance and is identifying new sources of exposure to lead and mercury and developing risk mitigation strategies specifically for women.