Antinuclear

Australian women at the forefront of economic change for sustainability

Positive need for a nurturing role, SMH by Cosima Marriner  June 3, 2012 ROMILLY MADEW believes consumers can change the way they behave to preserve the planet – and save money at the same time. She is representative of a coterie of women who are taking leadership positions in the sustainability field. They do not identify as tree huggers, but as change agents.

”I’m fascinated by change management; how you turn farmers into being
worried about the environment, how you talk to a burly builder about
water and energy efficiency, how you go from ‘this is how we’ve always
done it’ to why this makes sense for the economy and community,” she
says.

Madew, who has a degree in agricultural economics, is now the head of
the Green Building Council. ”My parents were very resource-conscious:
I was brought up, ‘Why do you need the airconditioning on? Open the
windows. Why use a dryer when you have a clothes line? Turn the lights
off’,” she says.
The newness of sustainability – it has emerged as a specific field in
the past decade – has provided new opportunities for women to get
ahead. Unlike older professions, such as engineering, there are no
rigid hierarchies to scale and no history of male dominance…..

It has been argued that the ”save the world” aspect of
sustainability appeals to women’s nurture instincts. ”Nurture is part
of our nature,” Madew muses. ”The social aspect of sustainability
resonates with women, issues of equity etc. When I talk about
flexible-working arrangements, people believe me more because I’m a
mother of three.”  http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/positive-need-for-a-nurturing-role-20120602-1zofp.html#ixzz1wrfwnm4r

June 4, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News