Tag: Women in leadership

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Events, Advocate

Congratulations to Margaret Hender – walking the talk of climate action

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Congratulations to Margaret Hender, founder of CORENA and winner of the ZC Melbourne on Yarra’s Women Taking Climate Action Award 2021

The winner of the Zonta Club of Melbourne on Yarra‘s pilot Women Taking Climate Action Award 2021 is Margaret Hender from South Australia.

Margaret is the creator of CORENA (Citizens Own Renewable Energy Network Australia) – Australia’s first solar revolving fund.   The idea of CORENA was conceived when Margaret was on the ‘walk for solar’ from Port Augusta to Adelaide in 2012.

What is a revolving fund? CORENA uses donations to provide interest-free loans to small not-for-profit organisations to install solar, invest in energy efficiency, get off gas, or purchase electric vehicles.  Repayments are used to fund further projects. 

So far, CORENA has successfully loaned $800,000 to fund 44 projects, generating almost $200,000 in savings for the not-for-profits. CORENA loans have helped many child care centres, specialist schools, housing associations for the disabled and community resource centres throughout Australia.

Many women involved in not-for-profit organisations are daunted making investment decisions related to energy – which is still a very male-dominated industry. CORENA’s key positions are all held by women and they are able to offer independent technical advice and support.

The pilot Women Taking Climate Action Award was developed by the Zonta Club of Melbourne-on-Yarra to acknowledge women who are taking innovative climate action that engages with women.

Funding for the $1,000 award was raised through a Climate Action webinar with inspirational guest speaker, Natalie Isaacs, the CEO of 1 Million Women.

The Award was open to any woman living in District 23 (Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia). The judges were Suzanne Lees and Dr Jasmine Schuijers from the Zonta Club of Melbourne on Yarra and Carole Theobald from the Zonta Club of Perth who is the convenor of Zonta Says NOW to Gender Equality and Climate Action.

Competition for the award was very strong and judging was complicated by the diverse range of activities and experience levels of applicants. Applicants will be invited to speak at club and Zonta Says NOW meetings to share their work and passion. Knowledge gained from the pilot will be valuable to review the criteria for future years.

If you and/or your Zonta Club is interested in becoming involved with Zonta Says NOW, and/or supporting the Climate Action Award, please contact Carole Theobald via  zontasaysnow@gmail.com.

Advocate

Zonta International Statement on Climate Change – A Gender Equality Issue

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Zonta International’s Statement on Climate Change is a call to action for members around the world.

Zonta International Statement on Climate ChangeDownload

The statement clearly outlines the case of climate change being a gender equality issue and highlights the following key actions.

Zonta International:

  • Asks governments that have not yet signed the Paris Agreement to sign the Paris Agreement.
  • Asks governments who signed the Paris Agreement to actively take into account human rights, gender equality and empowerment of women and girls in defining and implementing their national climate action plans, including gender-responsive measures that are more effective and respectful of human rights.
  • Calls for governments and policymakers to uphold the principles of climate justice agreed to in the Paris Agreement and ensure that the most marginalized groups do not bear the brunt of the climate crisis.
  • Calls on Governments to set up more gender-balanced governing bodies to integrate gender-sensitive climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning, as per SDG 13.2 and the Paris Agreement.
  • Calls on Governments to arrange education for girls and support girls’ access to education.
  • Calls on Governments to include basic education on climate change and its consequences to nature and societies for all students, recognizing and addressing the social and economic factors aggravated by climate change (as per SDG13.3.1).
  • Calls on Governments to ensure that climate adaptation and mitigation plans address the unique needs of women and the barriers to women’s full participation in the economy, including:
    • Childcare and elder-care services.
    • Occupational segregation.
    • Informal work.
    • The gender pay gap.
    • Legal and social restrictions.
  • Calls on Governments to include women in the formation of disaster preparedness and response plans. These plans should:
    • Recognize the unique needs of women and girls.
    • Prioritize their health and safety.
    • Include responses to gender-based violence.

Zonta International calls on its members to:

  • Increase their own awareness of climate change and on its gender-related consequences and raise awareness locally.
  • Include gendered climate change advocacy actions in their advocacy plans.
  • Support the inclusion of women at the national and local tables of decision-makers on environmental sustainability.
  • Promote girls’ education and the inclusion of climate literacy in schools, as well as to promote girls’ science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) studies to increase gendered scientific and technical contributions to climate change mitigation.
  • Advocate for national policies that take into account women’s economic opportunities and ensures their full and equal participation in the economy.

The climate is changing and we need to change too.

Zonta Says NOW will develop tools to help members and supporters implement these actions.

Facts, Article

Gender, Climate, and Parliament

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Did you know that the four most climate-resilient countries in the world are led by women? They are Norway, New Zealand, Finland and Denmark and congratulations go to their Prime Ministers Erna Solberg, Jacinda Adern, Sanna Marin and Mette Frederiksen on their nation’s achievements. Interestingly, the proportion of women in all of their parliaments is above 40%.

In contrast, the four least climate-resilient countries are led by men and have much lower numbers of women in their parliaments: Eritrea (22% women in parliament), Central African Republic (9%), Somalia (24%) and Chad (15%).

To give humanity the best chance of surviving the climate crisis, we need more women around decision-making tables in community groups, workplaces, and all levels of government.

How does Australia fare?

There are 16.7 million people on our nation’s electoral roll, and 51% of them are women. Australia’s Federal Parliament consists of 227 members, 86 of whom are women (38%). Women make up 51% of the Senate and 31% of the House of Representatives. Currently, there are 6 women in the 22-member decision-making Cabinet (27%).

Recent events in Parliament House will not help to make politics an attractive career choice for women. However, to get fairer representation, we must support more women to take on leadership roles at all levels of society and government.

Here are a few of the ways that you can help women take on leadership roles.

  • Acknowledge young girls for their leadership potential (replacing the language of bossiness with leadership).
  • Encourage young women to be informed and share their views openly and confidently.
  • Mentor women in your workplace, so they are prepared for leadership positions.
  • Champion women in their careers.
  • Learn how, through following a leader, you can create a movement.