Mary Robinson broke the highest barrier in Irish politics as the country's first female President, then took the fight for human dignity global as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her third act may prove her most consequential: putting climate justice into the vocabulary of international policy.
Through the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice (2010–2019), she insisted the world see climate change as a human rights issue: those with the least responsibility bear the greatest burdens, and their rights – and leadership – must be at the center of the response. The framing this platform is built on owes much to the ground she prepared.
Achievements
- First female President of Ireland
- Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
- Founded the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice (2010–2019)
- Helped bring climate justice into mainstream international policy
In Planet vs. Patriarchy: Climate justice.