The KlimaSeniorinnen (Senior Women for Climate Protection) are not just deeply affected by the climate emergency -they are courageously challenging those responsible for it. Ten years ago, they formed an association and took legal action “because everything we hold dear is at stake.” In April 2024, they made history when the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Switzerland had violated their right to climate protection, particularly Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Their herstoric victory has since become a crucial reference point for confronting the climate crisis – not only in courts, but in movement, political and advocacy spaces across Europe and beyond. Celebrated worldwide, the judgment continues to inspire other climate cases and civil society actors, strengthening their demands for accountability. A majority of Swiss politicians fiercely oppose it, arguing that Swiss climate efforts are already sufficient – or pretend they are negligible given the country’s size – while questioning whether the climate crisis constitutes a human rights violation at all. At stake is not just enforcing this one judgment, but whether states can disregard human rights rulings whenever it suits them – a question that touches the credibility of the entire European human rights system in times of a heating climate at alarming speed.
In demanding times, the KlimaSeniorinnen practise courage every day, grounded in community, care and collectivity. Their activism has become a source of hope for people and movements committed to safer, more peaceful and just futures. Together with a global coalition of changemakers, they demand climate justice for all generations, and insist that ambitious climate action is not a request – it is a human right.
Get to know the members of the KlimaSeniorinnen featured in BEAT THE HEAT
