Mission
WVE drives action towards a future free from the impacts of toxic chemicals rooted in gender justice alongside those historically and presently ignored by the environmental health movement by leveraging an intersectional solidarity approach based on our expertise in research, advocacy and organizing.
Vision
WVE envisions a world free from the impacts of toxic chemicals, one where our planet and communities are thriving, one where our gender, race, sexuality, zip code, income level or job does not determine our health outcomes. A world where workers are treated with dignity from our paychecks to our working conditions. In this world, every point in the cycle of production and consumption – from extraction, to processing, to use, to disposal – contributes not just to a less toxic world, but to a thriving world.
We envision WVE as a community that is accessible, intersectional and empowering for LGBTQIA+ people, young people, Black people, Indigenous people, Latin@ people, Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander people, refugees, immigrants, people with disabilities, and working class people. We honor and recognize the intersectionality of these identities. And when we say disproportionately impacted people we are clear that we are talking about people at these intersections. We strive to put solidarity into action as we build this community.
Core Values
Care and stewardship of our planet: Without our planet, there would be no us. Our work centers the urgent needs of our planet to create a thriving environment for all.
Gender justice: We believe in a world where gender doesn’t determine anyone’s value or worth and isn’t a barrier to opportunities or ability to thrive. Gender justice concentrates on digging out the root causes of gender injustice: misogyny, misogynoir, cisheterosexism, transphobia, and homophobia.
Anti-oppression: We believe we must actively and consistently challenge systems of oppression, both internally and externally. We recognize the oppression that exists in our society and will work to equalize the power imbalance in our communities. As we resist oppression in all forms we center joy and hope, a radical act that acknowledges that communities and individuals experiencing oppression are far more than statistics.
Prevention Focused: We believe that the most just way to address environmental inequities is preventing harm in the first place. Through our work to eliminate toxic chemicals in products and the extractive practices in production and disposal of toxics, we are working to remove the conditions for disproportionate environmental harm.
Cultural humility: We believe that people are the experts of their own culture. We strive to give credence to the autonomy, expertise, and unique nature of people from all backgrounds, race, and culture as we conduct research, develop and implement programming, and partner with communities.
Adopted by the Board of Directors on April 2022
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