Women of the Waves: Female Activists Leading Movements for the Ocean and Earth

The group of activists we often ignore in a patriarchal society, are the ones working relentlessly for the earth – the women environmental activists. This is a fresh group of activists emerging from the belief that “nature is for everyone and everyone is for the nature,” as natural justice remain constantly under threat. They have come together to fight for the nature and its elements – one of which is the ocean. Their activism speaks about a movement that wants justice for both people and the ecology they depend on.  They are putting pressure on businesses, communities, and governments to do a better job of protecting the ocean.  Their work, which includes direct action, policy advocacy, education, and changing how we see pollution and ecological destruction, has effects on conservation efforts all over the world and we must give them the recognition they deserve. Here are some of the impact-driven female environmental activists (out of hundreds all around the world) working to move this important issue forward:

Tiza Mafira from Indonesia: Started the movement to replace plastic bags

The Indonesia Plastic Bag Diet Movement, which is the biggest environmental group in Southeast Asia, is led by Tiza Mafira.  In 2015, her campaign asked stores to stop giving out free plastic bags. This made it possible for all 50 states to try out a tax on plastic bags. She used consumer and legal pressure well, and in just six months, the number of plastic bags used dropped by 55%. Mafira's study looks at the 8 million tons of plastic that go into the ocean every year. This issue hits coastal countries like Indonesia harder than others. Her work has made other countries in the area think about putting similar bans in place.  Because of this, the area has started to use more environmentally friendly methods.

Marinel Ubaldo from Philippines: A survivor speaks up for the country

Marinel Ubaldo, who is 24 years old and from the Philippines, lived through Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. However, the stormy seas destroyed her home. As a youth delegate at COP21, she has worked to make big changes to the way things work to cut down on plastic pollution and keep communities that are at risk safe. She supports a binding plastics treaty, even though progress is slow. Her work helps the Global South's voice be heard more clearly. Some people think that she could do better work on a global scale if she focused on local resilience. Ubaldo's story of survival calls for real and immediate ocean justice.

Cynthia Houniuhi from Solomon Islands: Her remarkable campaign since 2019

Cynthia Houniuhi is in her 20s and is studying law. She is also the president of Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC). She is from the Solomon Islands, a SIDS country that is dealing with rising sea levels and coastal erosion. She has been in charge of a campaign since 2019 to get the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to give its opinion on what countries should do about climate change. This led to the historic UN resolution in 2023, which was backed by over 120 countries. She works at the grassroots level to make sure that Pacific voices have an impact on global policy, but she is worried that she will misrepresent the many climate stories in her community. Houniuhi's work links local survival to international law, which gives SIDS hope.

Grace Malie from Tuvalu: Inspiring young people to speak out against rising waters

Grace Malie is a young activist from Tuvalu, which is also a SIDS country. She is working to stop rising sea levels that could flood her home. At international meetings, she asks big polluters to be held accountable, saying that Tuvalu has very low emissions but is very weak. Her childhood was affected by floods, and that's what drives her to fight for climate adaptation and finance. The world can only do so much to help Tuvalu as her power grows. This makes her a strong symbol of SIDS strength.

Angelique Pouponneau from the Seychelles:  Legal activism for marine ecosystems

Angelique Pouponneau is an environmental lawyer from Seychelles, a small island country in the Indian Ocean. She keeps the marine and coastal ecosystems on her island safe. She used to be the CEO of the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust, where she got blue bonds to pay for work that combines finance and ecology. She tries to reduce pollution and overfishing, but it's hard because the economy depends on tourism. Pouponneau's legal knowledge helps SIDS's global advocacy and shows how to take care of the ocean in a way that is good for the environment.

Greta Thunberg from Sweden: Still a big figure in the climate movement

The 22-year-old Swedish activist who started the global Fridays for Future movement in 2018 has been focusing more and more on the seas. She has spoken out against industrial overfishing, plastic pollution, and carbon emissions that are destroying marine ecosystems. Her vocal criticisms at international events like COP26 and her work with Greenpeace on ocean cleanup projects have made more people aware of how climate change makes coral bleaching and ocean acidification worse. Thunberg's arrest during a protest against North Sea oil drilling in 2023 showed how committed she was, and it started conversations about how fossil fuels affect marine life. Some people praise her for getting millions of people to act, while others question how realistic her demands are. Still, her unyielding stance continues to inspire a new generation to put ocean conservation at the top of their list of climate goals.

These are some of the names out of hundreds of female activists across the globe, all coming from different backgrounds who are working to protect the planet, the ocean. They all work from their shared belief on ocean’s survival, and they all work together to push for laws, campaigns to raise public awareness, and fair solutions.  The system still has problems, like corporate lobbying and inconsistent enforcement.  These worries affect policies, levels of pollution, and movements that are driven by them. However, these brave youngsters are not afraid. Rather, they are hopeful, optimist and determined to do their best, which we all, especially the younger generation must learn from. Even though climate change, plastic pollution, ecological balance are getting worse, their work gives us hope there are humans who believe in natural justice, who wants to preserve our nature for future generations.  The war is far from over, but the hope must remain, the names must remain – and their amazing work.