Who We Are
EcoWomen is a social community of women who care about the environment. We foster networking, collaboration, and career-building opportunities at every professional level.
Women play key roles in the environmental movement. EcoWomen, through local chapters, connects women around the U.S. to their environmental leaders and peers. EcoWomen convenes the newcomers and the seasoned professionals, offering opportunities to learn, network, grow, and share.
vision
a community of women inspiring each other to create a healthy and equitable society
mission
to provide an educational forum for women that empowers women to become leaders in the environmental community and the world
key activities
- Monthly EcoHour/Speaker Series: Monthly chapter gatherings featuring women who are the mavericks, influential voices, and leaders of today and the future. These monthly events provide an opportunity to learn and connect with other EcoWomen.
- Events: Chapters offer networking, social, and career building opportunities for women through events such as skill-building workshops, volunteer activities, and fundraising events.
- Eco-munities: Communities of women with similar interests have formed within EcoWomen chapters. These groups gather in person and/or online. Eco-munities focus on environmental topics and participants include film enthusiasts, potluck chefs extraordinaire, Eco-moms, fiction/nonfiction buffs, outdoor adventurers, and more.
- Online networks: EcoWomen can connect online to share environmental announcements and connect professionally and personally through listservs, Facebook, Twitter, and Google Groups.
The availability and types of EcoWomen Events, Eco-munities, and Online Networks may vary by chapter.
EcoWomen is led, supported, and cherished by volunteers and board members. Learn more about remarkable women who have shared their experiences through EcoWomen, find out how to start a chapter in your city, or help to support EcoWomen.
history
Washington, D.C. hosts a wide array of environmental non-profits, businesses, federal agencies, and more. In 2003, a group of D.C.-area women recognized a need in their community. Having attended many conferences, the women found that the most fulfilling time was between work sessions— the time spent building both personal and professional relationships. Often, these deeper, meaningful relationships lead to successful professional relationships.
To forge those connections in the D.C. community, the concept for EcoWomen’s “EcoHour” was created and the first gathering was held in April 2004. The featured speaker, Alisa Gravitz, the Executive Director of Co-op America, was met by a sizable and enthusiastic crowd. The audience grew at the monthly gatherings as well as the online EcoWomen community. EcoWomen sought a venue to accommodate larger gatherings, provide options for purchasing food and refreshments, and maintain an intimate atmosphere. EcoWomen eventually found a welcoming home at Teaism in the heart of Washington, DC, which for years, has regularly offered a meeting space.
Since its early days, EcoWomen has continued to flourish. The organization is preparing to expand to a national scale. EcoWomen was officially incorporated in 2009, and DC EcoWomen is the founding chapter of the organization. DC EcoWomen has added environmental social groups ranging from book clubs, skill-building workshops, and outdoor adventures.