Our first edition of this year's Beyond Victims Series brings you stories of inspiring women political leaders from South Asia who have been leading efforts on sustainability.
Stories of Marriyum Aurangzeb, Uma Regmi, Ajantha Perera and Reena Gupta covered in this edition have been contributed by volunteers Ira, Tapakshi, Vatsla, Eeshna and Tapasya.
Marriyum Aurangzeb
Former MNA and Federal Minister, Pakistan
As former Minister in Pakistan, Marriyum Aurangzeb has led Pakistan’s effort on sustainability and the 5-E framework, which emphasises greatly on energy and the environment. By launching the “Planet Champs” application, Marriyum took a step to galvanise Pakistan’s young population on key issues like water and energy conservation, waste disposal and more. As minister of information technology, she advocated for programs related to climate change and SDGs on Radio Pakistan.
– Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Today, 2023
Uma Regmi
Member of Parliament and Former Minister, Nepal
As Former Minister of Women, Children and Senior Citizens in Nepal, Uma Regmi reinforced Nepal’s firm commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2045. In a speech at the United Nations, she contextualised the adverse impact of climate change from a gendered lens, noting it to be a threat multiplier for women. Regmi is battling climate change with women at the forefront. Under her, Nepal has also adopted gender equality and social inclusion as the main pillars of the climate change action plan, 2020-2030.
– The Permanent Mission of Nepal to the UN, March 2022
Ajantha Perera
Sri Lankan Politician and Environmentalist
Ajantha Perera, as a member of the Socialist party and well-known environmentalist, has devoted her main aim in politics to bringing a socio-environmental change. Her commitment to understanding the intricacies of recycling by spending hours at garbage dumps showcases her hands-on approach to the issues she cares about. She promoted the idea of ‘prathichakkrikaranaya’ (recycling) in many cities of Sri Lanka. She is also the founder of the National Program of Recycling of Solid Waste. Her election campaign also focuses on climate sustainability, amongst other things.
– Women of STEM, April 2020
Reena Gupta
Advisor to the Government of Delhi, India
Reena Gupta is a senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, known for her distinguished career spanning gender, environment, and sustainable development, including roles at the World Bank, Oxfam, and AMUL milk cooperative. Gupta has been instrumental in driving policies and governance initiatives related to environmental issues, such as mandating the adoption of electric vehicles and developing tools like the Green Delhi App to combat pollution. Reena also heads "Greening Delhi," a Delhi government initiative to upgrade neighbourhood parks and convert vacant lots into community parks and forests, enhancing urban green spaces and amenities. She also champions urban farming and pesticide-free agriculture while actively advocating for the Safe Food Movement in India.
– Multiple Sources
Project Management: Vatsla Srivastava
Contributors: Tapakshi, Ira, Vatsla, Tapasya, Eeshna and Ragini
Edited by: Sugandha
Design: Samragnee Chakraborty
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