Young Women Making History: Rikki Held on Climate Litigation, Justice, and the Power of Youth Voices
Throughout history, young women have been at the forefront of the climate movement, challenging injustices and reshaping the future. This Women’s History Month, we celebrate those who are making history today, like Rikki Held, the lead youth plaintiff in Held v. State of Montana, the constitutional climate case that secured a groundbreaking victory for youth and safe climate. As one of nine young women plaintiffs in the case, Rikki is part of a powerful new generation of leaders proving that the voices of young women are indispensable in the fight for climate rights. Rikki holds a BA in Environmental Science from Colorado College and currently works as a science educator in Kenya through the Peace Corps. Her future plans include attending graduate school to continue earth and climate science research.
Honoring Women Experts in Youth-Led Climate Litigation
Women have long been at the forefront of movements for justice and equality, using their expertise, courage, and persistence to drive meaningful change. In the fight for climate rights, women are again leading the charge—bringing scientific knowledge, medical expertise, and policy advocacy to youth-led climate litigation. This Women’s History Month, we recognize the extraordinary women experts who have played a pivotal role in Our Children’s Trust’s groundbreaking cases, standing alongside young plaintiffs to hold governments accountable for the climate crisis.
Honoring the Past and Fighting for the Future
As a daughter born in the 1970s and the burgeoning of women’s rights, I was told I could do anything when I grew up. The world was open to me, to dream big, choose my career path, marry or not, make decisions about my own body, choose to have children or not, explore the big cities and the quiet mountains on my own, and help leave the world a better place for generations to come. Before my first birthday, the US Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment by the required two-thirds vote to send it to the states for ratification. No generation of American women before had been born into this kind of freedom and opportunity.