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By Jamie Nonis
December 09, 2020
Through two organizations she founded, Women on a Mission (WOAM) and Her Planet Earth, Christine Amour-Levar wants to raise awareness and bring about change for some of the most pressing issues facing women around the world.
Christine Amour-Levar is successful, dynamic and talkative; the very archetype of a woman on a mission trying to use her unique set of skills and gifts for the good of the planet and its people. And that’s exactly what Christine Amour-Levar named the first non-profit organization she co-founded eight years ago with fellow adventurers and philanthropists Valérie Boffy and Karine Moge: Women on a Mission (WOAM).
“We had this desire to organize expeditions as a way to raise awareness and fundraise for vulnerable women; survivors of war, domestic abuse and human trafficking, ”says Amour-Levar.
Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread and persistent human rights violations in the world today.
WOAM then partners with other NGOs, such as UN Women, Women for Women International and Aware Singapore, who have already established structures and run specific programs aligned with their mission.
Invitational expeditions help build buzz for the cause, taking groups of women to remote places like Bhutan, Mongolia, Rwanda and even Siberia.
“We will choose a unique place where we will have the opportunity to also meet the native indigenous populations, since we always seek an enriching cultural aspect to learn about the problems of women there. So, we look for a challenge; ideally a pioneering challenge, something that has never been done before by a group of women or even anyone, ”she explains.
Self-funded trips, which average a week in length, are often physically exhausting and participants can be exposed to extreme weather conditions, making pre-training de rigueur for the team.
For a rock climbing trip, WOAM even hired famous mountaineer Khoo Swee Chiow to train the women. And sometimes expeditions involve the first in the world.
“In Bhutan, we were the first to paddle board the rivers with the gear we brought from the UK. And no one had ever cycled through the Danakil depression in Ethiopia, because it’s crazy, I mean, it’s the hottest place in the world. That’s why we seek these unique life-changing experiences, ”says the French-Swiss-Filipino athlete who grew up between Manila, Paris and Tokyo and speaks six languages, including Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese.
For their part, each participant spearheads their own fundraising efforts, working toward a team goal through the JustGiving online fundraising platform.
“These women are between 22 and 60 years old, and of all nationalities, origins, races, education and careers, from CEOs and artists to stay-at-home mothers,” shares Amour-Levar, mother of four and former corporate senior frills.
(Related: Rolex Perpetual Planet campaign inspires marine ecologist Neo Mei Lin to do more for planet Earth)
As a successful career woman who has spent more than a decade as a marketing professional in the US, Latin America, Europe and Asia, female empowerment is an issue close to the heart of Amour-Levar, which she also advocates through another non-profit organization she founded: Her Planet Earth, a global women’s advocacy movement for gender equality and environmental conservation that has raised about half a million dollars so far.
“Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today. In Asia, women make up the majority of the agricultural workforce in developing countries, so climate-related emergencies such as floods and cyclones can destroy their livelihoods. That is why we are working with UN Women to help finance agricultural projects that prepare them to switch to more resistant and marketable crops, ”she explains.
The expeditions under Your Planet Earth, therefore, differ from those of WOAM in that they call for awareness of the geographical regions most affected by climate change, such as Greenland and Antarctica, and a second trip to the latter is planned for 2022.
“If you look at the statistics, the melting of the ice sheets in Greenland, for example, will have a major impact on coastal cities in Asia, including Singapore, and we will be affected by rising sea levels,” he warns.
(Related: 10 Women Who Are Shaping Singapore)
Amour-Levar’s passion for conservation is palpable, and she has just been named an ambassador for the Sulubaaï Environmental Foundation in the Philippines to conserve, protect and restore the natural environment, including Palawan’s coral reefs through environmentally sustainable practices.
However, with the pandemic hampering travel and fundraising efforts, Amour-Levar and her team of volunteers have refocused their efforts on their mentoring programs in Singapore this year. WOAM runs a ‘Big Sister’ program with the Pertapis Center for Women and Girls, while We Can Be Heroes, also founded by Amour-Levar, unites people with mental health issues and disabilities with volunteer support.
She has already done a lot, but it seems like Amour-Levar is just getting started.
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