Dr Lara Stevens (pictured) talks about feminism, or "feminisms",  Val Plumwood and Mother Earth, and why it's not "Father Earth".

Dr Stevens, a researcher with the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, helped me better understand why women are playing such a leading role in humanity's response to the climate crisis.

"The climate debate isn't just about science; it's also about gender and power. Ecofeminism takes this seriously, and ecofeminist philosophy is uniquely positioned to help us reimagine our place in the world and the ways in which we can care for the environment", the ABC said in an introduction to a session on the Philosophers Zone entitled "Feminism, ecology and motherhood".