Letter to the Editor

1250 24th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20037

February 20, 2022

Sally Buzbee
The Washington Post
1301 K Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20071

Dear Ms. Buzbee:

The World Wildlife Fund has launched a new project to reach more digital audiences by implementing environmental and conservation-based curriculum into schools. This comes at a moment of #MeToo empowering women and girls who have been impacted by sexual violence. It is important to recognize the inextricable connection between gender equality and environmental justice.

While women are growing in the conservation space, they are still facing the challenges exposed by the #MeToo movement. The movement serves as a troubling reminder of the structural inequalities that have left women silenced and imperiled. WWF wants to change that through an initiative that will engage, empower, and educate girls on the vital role they play in science and conservation. We want to ensure that girls understand the value of their voices and skills to make lasting positive change.

Divisions in our nation caused by dichotomous thinking are creating obstacles for progress. This way of thinking poses a major challenge for organizations and communicators that seek to connect audiences and address issues such as #MeToo. Instead of leaning on division, our society must recognize that cooperation and collaboration are key to creating a just, sustainable, and equitable world for all.

Organizations like WWF are at the heart of these complex issues and need to become thought leaders and advocates for change. It is important for WWF to create positive change in light of the #MeToo movement, not only for the girls we seek to educate through our initiative but also for the women on our team and all women impacted by and tied to our efforts. Rather than treating #MeToo as a one-off, situational call-to-action, we will use the insight gained to fuel our work. We will treat gender equality as a sustainable value of environmental advocacy, as it is a fundamental human right that ties to a crucial foundation for a prosperous and just world.

It is time for us to demand concrete actions that will advance gender equality and environmental justice. With WWF’s new school curriculum project, we aim to lead the way toward sustained positive change for women and girls. We thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

The Team at World Wildlife Fund