Julieta Martinez: The Future of Gender Equity Activism
Written by Swathi Jeeda | Edited By Addrita Yousuf
“Solutions should not simply be FOR girls, they should be created WITH girls. We want to be protagonists of change, not spectators.”- Julieta Martinez
Chilean climate and gender equity activist Julieta Matinez is just 17 years old, yet she has made an immense amount of progress in gender equality. She emphasized that urgency be placed on women’s issues, and it is imperative partisan politics generate trust between the people and the solution.
Her activism started at just 13 years old, when her parents took her to a march for insulin pumps. The march demanded insulin pumps for diabetics to be included in Chillies Plan de Acceso Universal de Garantías Explicitas (Plan AUGE). It began her questioning of inequality, and sparked her interest in social activism.
From there Martinez only grew. In 2014, she spoke at the International Festival of Social Innovation (Fiis) in Santiago de Chile, where she analyzed progress and barriers to gender equity, as well as the empowerment and inclusion of girls in decision making. In 2018, she became an ambassador for the Ashoka Foundation, a global organization that recruits young people aged 15 to 25 who are considered change agents.
One thing Julieta is especially focused on is climate change and its relationship to feminism. In an interview with theelders.org, she states: “The more I learned about the climate crisis, the more I understood that I needed to apply an intersectional look. This is not only an environmental crisis, but a human rights crisis as well. It is a crisis with a woman’s face and education as a solution.”
In 2020 Julieta founded Tremendas, an organization for feminist action against climate change. “In feminist action for climate justice, we will work on girls’ education as a climate solution, as the main driver of change…We will work tirelessly for gender equality.” The Tremendas Collaborative Platform encourages young people to take initiative and make a social impact on their communities. It gets them involved in global and community concerns, like the environment, inclusion, gender, health and welfare, and education. Today, Tremendas is in 18 countries and has over 2000 members.
Martinez is also a part of the United Nations Generation Equality Youth Task Force which focuses on advancing gender equality. She also participated in its Gender Equality Forum, a “civil society–centered, global gathering for gender equality, to be convened by UN Women” hosted by the governments of France and Mexico.
Most recently, the young activist spoke at New York’s Climate Week. Highlighting the importance of educating girls in order to advance climate solutions. Julieta is a force to be reckoned with, and she doesn’t seem to be stopping soon.
“The Generation Equality Youth Task Force Strengthens Its Membership with New Leaders.” UN Women — Headquarters, https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/10/the-generation-equality-youth-task-force-strengthens-membership.
“Girls to Know: The next Generation Is Already Leading the Way.” UN Women — Headquarters, https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/10/compilation-girls-to-know.
“Take Five: ‘Girls’ Empowerment and Inclusion in Decision-Making Processes Is a Transformative Force in Achieving a Sustainable and Equal Future.’” UN Women — Headquarters, https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2021/8/take-five-julieta-martinez.
Theelders. “Gender Equality, Climate Justice and Education Go Hand in Hand.” The Elders, https://theelders.org/news/gender-equality-climate-justice-and-education-go-hand-hand.
Tremendas. “Julieta Martínez Será Panelista En Evento Oficial De La Semana Del Clima En New York.” Tremendas, 21 Sept. 2022, https://tremendas.org/julieta-martinez-sera-panelista-en-evento-oficial-de-la-semana-del-clima-en-new-york/.
