By Homeward Bound
80 women scientists need your help to get to Antarctica and start a global movement! Help fund Homeward Bound and promote gender equality in leadership positions for a more sustainable future.
What if balancing the gender voice at the leadership table was one of the most effective ways to influence environmental sustainability?
Homeward Bound is a global leadership program for women in science. 80 women from different scientific fields, at different stages of their career, from all over the world have been chosen to participate in this once in a lifetime opportunity.
The voyage begins in Ushuaia, Argentina, bound for Antarctica on 2nd December 2016. The program aims to advance each participant’s leadership capabilities to increase the number of females in positions where they can influence policy change.
I am honoured to have been selected to join Homeward Bound.
Originally from Ottawa, Canada, I have been based in Australia for the past 18 months, working for the NSW Government, Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH). In my current role, I am responsible for developing long-term plans for the management of surface water within the Murray Darling Basin. I am very fortunate that my current workplace supports my development and provides me with opportunities to take on new and challenging leadership roles.
However, I have become acutely aware of the lack of female representation and support that women receive in other organisations.
Despite these gender inequalities, I have the passion and desire to elevate myself and other women to take on leadership roles, especially in science. I am actively involved with the Department’s Spokeswomen program, and I volunteer with the Science in Schools initiative, which is working to increase the number of female students who enroll in year 11 and 12 science classes.
The leadership skills I will gain through participating in Homeward Bound will be invaluable, both in my current position, and in the future so that I can continue to influence change in how we manage our environment.
I am at the beginning of my career and am excited to meet the world class female scientists that are traveling to Antarctica with me. I am inspired by the collaboration that is already forming and look forward to exploring how we can ensure our freshwater supplies can remain resilient to changes in our climate.
Women are emerging in all universities as a major percentage of science graduates, and they make up a significant percentage of our workforce, however, they are in a profound minority globally in executive decision making roles. In 2014, women held only 24% of senior management positions globally. Despite the increasing awareness of this disparity, the number of women in global executive decision-making roles has only grown very slowly in recent decades.
This under-representation comes at a time when women leaders should be making a tangible difference in contributing to a more sustainable world.
The program is the start of a 10-year initiative to build a global collaboration of 1,000 women who will help shape policy and decision making in science. This network of women will support each other in leadership roles and continue to work towards a shared vision – a sustainable future.
Your donations will support women, specifically with science backgrounds, to significantly improve their confidence and enhance their opportunities to take up leadership roles globally.
As leaders and policy-makers seek to navigate their way through current global issues, such as food security, water scarcity, species extinction and climate change, we need the aggregate talents of both women and men more than ever to come up with the best solutions possible.
Homeward Bound is largely funded by a significant contribution from Dattner Grant and is currently approaching a range of other funding sources to offset the $45,000 USD per person cost of the program. The primary cost is for the three programs that will be delivered on board, the on board faculty, global filmed faculty, project materials, and documentary costs.
Each participant is required to raise the funds necessary to cover the ship’s berth, air travel to Ushuaia, expedition clothing, and insurance. This is approximately $20,000 USD ($26,000 AUD).
But more importantly, your donations will help contribute to a global collaborative movement; by building a critical mass of women in science, we can help ensure economies and societies are adaptable and resilient in the face of climate change and other challenges.
Through my campaign I hope to encourage other women to believe in themselves and apply for opportunities when they arise, you never know where they can lead and what is around the corner. Often you never know yourself what you are able to achieve until you try!
Any contribution you could make to help me to reach this goal will be very much appreciated and, if I should happen to raise more than I need, I would like to use the excess funds to help other Homeward Bound participants that are struggling to meet their target.
For more information about the program head to:
http://homewardboundprojects.com.au/about/
Or to check out my fundraising webpage and buy tickets for any of my fundraising events at:
http://www.homeward-bound-fundraising.com/
Cristina Venables