The Swiss organization of older women, KlimaSeniorinne, is taking the government to the European Court of Human Rights, alleging insufficient efforts in addressing the climate crisis.
The group, comprising 2,400 senior women, is making headlines as an unlikely force on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Despite residing in one of the wealthiest nations globally, these women aged 64 and older, are challenging perceptions.
While they may personally experience only a fraction of the extreme weather events, their advocacy is rooted in concern for the environmental challenges awaiting future generations.
Defying stereotypes, these retirees stand at the forefront of the battle for a sustainable future.
Switzerland’s KlimaSeniorinnen, despite their age, is pursuing a groundbreaking legal challenge against the Swiss government in Europe’s highest court.
Their argument asserts that the government’s policies inadequately address the climate crisis, violating their human rights and jeopardizing a habitable planet.
The case, with potential implications for courts throughout the continent, hinges on two undeniable truths: escalating heatwaves fueled by fossil fuel consumption and the heightened vulnerability of women, especially older individuals, to the life-threatening impacts of soaring temperatures.
“When they asked me to join, I thought Swiss politics was hopeless,” said Hollenstein, a retired nurse and former Green party member of parliament who sits on the board of the KlimaSeniorinnen. “But this is an important lever.”
The group emphasized that they are now garnering increased respect. Despite being previously dismissed by some as mere “old wives,” the urgency of their cause has become increasingly undeniable.
Rita Schirmer-Braun, a board member, reflected on this shift, stating, “For a long time, we weren’t taken seriously.”
However, “Now they are slowly starting to take us seriously because they see what’s happening around us,” Schirmer-Braun added.
