She was recently named by Time as one of the 15 women leading the fight against climate change. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim tells Kera Sherwood-O’Regan about the effects of the changing climate on the village she grew up in in Chad, especially on women and girls, and what spurred her to action.

As a young indigenous woman, walking into the COP 23 Climate Conference in Bonn in 2017 surrounded by politicians and climate experts was nerve-racking, to say the least. What put me at ease was joining the Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus, and the person leading the room, who was referred to as Madame Co-Chair.