Global Landscapes Forum Recognizes Eight Trailblazing Women, Including Asisat Oshoala and Tariye Gbadegesin, for Environmental Vision

Each year, the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), a prominent knowledge-sharing platform focused on sustainable landscapes, celebrates women making notable advancements in planetary restoration and climate change mitigation. These women are at the forefront of developing solutions to some of the planet's most pressing environmental issues. The GLF's annual selection spotlights innovators across a wide array of sectors, including science, technology, arts, public policy, sustainable business, environmental advocacy, journalism, law, climate finance, international climate negotiations, and grassroots restoration efforts.

This year, the GLF is highlighting eight influential women from fields as varied as sports and sustainable finance, who are inspiring global aspirations. Coinciding with International Women's Day, the seventh annual list from the Global Landscapes Forum underscores the resilience and diversity of women from Africa, Latin America, and Asia, honouring their global impact.

Meet These Resourceful Women

Alessandra Yupanqui – Co-founder and editorial director of Sapiens.lat

Alessandra Yupanqui, an Indigenous Andean storyteller from Peru, was recognized on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for social impact in 2025. She employs a blend of storytelling and journalism to address sustainability and advocate for solutions with an Indigenous perspective. Yupanqui challenges conventional notions of progress, emphasizing that humanity is an integral part of the web of life, not its master.

Pursuing this belief, Alessandra states, “Indigenous Peoples must be recognised as strategic partners and co-authors of solutions, not as beneficiaries. Real cooperation is built horizontally and over the long term, transferring resources, information, legitimacy, governance and decision- making spaces. In this, we need each other.”

Asisat Oshoala – Footballer with Al Hilal

Asisat Oshoala, a celebrated African footballer, is also recognized for her philanthropic work and advocacy for climate action. Her career has seen her achieve historic milestones in Nigeria, England, China, Spain, the United States, and currently in Saudi Arabia. Through her Asisat Oshoala Academy, she empowers girls across Africa, encouraging them to become visionary leaders by participating in football and acquiring vocational skills, including digital literacy.

Billie Eilish – Singer-songwriter

Billie Eilish, a globally acclaimed singer-songwriter from the United States, has been honored with an Environmental Justice Award. She utilizes her significant platform to champion climate action and advocate for environmental and social justice. Eilish actively challenges influential figures to take action for the planet and leverages her recent tour to raise awareness and fundraise for climate initiatives.

Francia Márquez Mina – Vice President of Colombia

Francia Márquez Mina, a lawyer and a prominent social and environmental leader, has dedicated her advocacy to the rights of women, Indigenous Peoples, and Afro-Colombians since her youth. A recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2018, her leadership is characterized by courage and a deep sense of care. She has actively campaigned against illegal gold mining and promoted collective action at both national and international levels.

Kristel C. Quierrez – 2025 GLF Mountain Restoration Steward and co-founder of UGBON

Kristel C. Quierrez, a teacher and Indigenous leader, is a steadfast defender of the ancestral lands of the Dumagat-Remontado people. She advocates for Indigenous rights and inspires youth to protect the Southern Sierra Madre, the Philippines' longest mountain range.

Kristel expresses her vision: “I want the world we live in to have unity between people and nature, with respect and balance. I want it to be treated as a living home, not to be owned, but to be cared for. As our ancestors taught us: the land, water, forests, and mountains are not just natural resources but sacred parts of our identity.”

Payal Arora – Professor at Utrecht University and founder of the Inclusive AI Lab

Payal Arora, an award-winning Indian author and digital anthropologist, was named among the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics in 2025. Her research focuses on inclusion and equity, highlighting the innovative youth from the Global South who are poised to shape the future. Arora champions the voices of communities that are often marginalized.

Payal elaborates on her vision: “My vision for Earth is one where justice for people and justice for the planet are inseparable. By centring historically excluded ways of knowing and living, we can move beyond narrow Western binaries of market growth versus environmental cost – and imagine futures grounded in care, continuity, and collective survival.”

Retno Marsudi – UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water

Retno Marsudi served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia from 2014 to 2024, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She has been a strong advocate for the UN's water and sanitation agenda, championing the cause of women and girls who face disproportionate challenges related to water. Marsudi also promotes climate action, inclusive strategies, global solidarity, and the potential of technology.

Retno shares her perspective: “I envision a world that puts water and women’s agendas at the centre of policy, programs and actions. Because empowering women accelerates water solutions, and building water resilience and sustainability protects the planet.”

Tariye Gbadegesin – CEO of the Climate Investment Funds

Tariye Gbadegesin is a member of the leadership councils for the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet and the Industrial Transition Accelerator’s Mission Possible Partnership. As a citizen of both Nigeria and the United States, she witnessed firsthand the impact of degraded wetlands and severe flooding in the Niger Delta during her upbringing. Her experience in finance has shown her the transformative power of investment in reshaping economies and the importance of building lasting change from the grassroots level.

Tariye advocates for: “I believe in livelihoods rooted in dignity – low‑carbon, resilient and fair. We have the tools to get there: smarter farming, restored ecosystems, clean energy, and resilient infrastructure. The challenge now is to act boldly and scale what works.”

Further details on these remarkable women and their contributions can be found on the Global Landscape Forum website.