Impact

MOTHER EARTH NEEDS ITS DAUGHTERS NOW

by ravas5. Untitled. Antarctica.

March is Women’s History Month. And although we, at BeautifulNow, believe every month should be Women’s History Month, we are taking the opportunity now to feature a story about a new group of women who are setting out to make history by helping to save our planet, starting at the very bottom.

by Fern Hames. “Finding Our Way.” Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.

HOMEWARD BOUND

Mother Earth needs its daughters! That’s what drives Homeward Bound, a groundbreaking leadership, strategic and science initiative aiming to increase the roles women play in protecting the planet.

by Songqiao Yao. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.

Homeward Bound is a 10-year mission to mold 1,000 women in science to lead, influence and contribute to policy and decision-making at the highest levels.

by Ute Hohn-Bowen. “Homeward Bound journey on Ushuaia.” Courtesy of Homeward Bound.

In December (2016), the 1st Homeward Bound Expedition set sail, headed for Antarctica, with 76 women seeking to learn and do what they can to fight gender inequality in the world of science in efforts to save the whole world for us all.

by Dr Denise Hardesty. “Antarctica.” Courtesy of Homeward Bound.

Antarctica is a fierce yet fragile place that can provide us with a lot of information about what's happening to our environment on the global scale. It yields early warnings about climate change.

by Jess Melbourne-Thomas. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.

Shockingly, until the mid-20th century, women were widely discouraged from exploring Antarctica, and the US didn't allow American women to work in the region until 1969.

The world needs women’s voices, skills, and brainpower.

Courtesy of Homeward Bound. “2016 Homeward Bound expedition of women scientists in Antarctica.”

Homeward Bound was co-founded in 2016 by Fabian Dattner, leadership activist and partner at Dattner Grant , and Jessica Melbourne-Thomas, an ecological modeller at The Australian Antarctic Division at the Australia Department of the Environment and Energy.

by Kess Broekman-Dattner. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.

Expedition participants include marine ecologists, doctors, physicists, astronomers, engineers, science communicators, Antarctic and Arctic specialists, and social scientists.

Courtesy of Homeward Bound. “Heading in zodiacs for the first landing.”

Before setting sail, on the 2 ½ week journey from Ushuaia, Argentina to the Antarctic Ocean, participants underwent nearly a year of training to develop their leadership and strategic capabilities, and learn about the latest scientific research around environmental change.

by Betty Gausz Trummel. Antarctica.

Women and children will be the most affected by climate change. Women are the poorest and most risk-exposed gender. In developing countries, extreme weather typically kills more women than men. According to a UN report, the 150,000 people killed by the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone, for example, 90% were women.

by Mary-Anne Lea. “Leopard seal on the sea ice on the way back from Palmer Station.” Courtesy of Homeward Bound.

It is critical that women help lead solutions. We can best address environmental problems by helping to solve social problems, such as poverty and gender inequality.

by Niina Kautto. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.

Plans are now underway for a second all-female trip to Antarctica in February 2018.

This time the organizers are seeking funding for scholarships to try to make the program more accessible to women from developing countries.

by Songqiao Yao. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.

According to the UNESCO Science Report, women make up just 28% of the world's research scientists, despite the fact that women account for 53% of of the world's Bachelor's and Master's graduates in science and 43% in PhDs, globally.

by Songqiao Yao. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.

Learn more about Homeward Bound Projects, including its educational outreach, mentoring, and training programs.

by Carol Devine. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.

Watch for the forthcoming Homeward Bound documentary, “Beautiful Minds – Agents of Change,” currently in production at Bunya Productions. It has been selected this year as part of the global Good Pitch initiative, which matches film projects with a significant opportunity to change the world with philanthropists.

Courtesy of Homeward Bound The Homeward Bound team pose at the entrance of the Lemaire Channel in Antarctica

Homeward Bound is supported by a world leading global faculty who are experts in their various domains, including a filmed faculty, with contributors such Dr. Jane Goodall (primatologist and environmental campaigner); Franny Armstrong (film maker behind ‘The Age of Stupid’, 100 most influential women); Dr. Sylvia Earle (global leading Marine Biologist, explorer, author, and lecturer); Christiana Figueres (Former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change); Dr Amy Edmondson (Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School); Dr. Susan David (Co-Founder and Director of the Institute of Coaching, awarded speaker and coach, Harvard A-lister); Clare Bowditch (award-winning Australian singer and activist); Dr Robert Kaplan (developed Balanced Score Card strategy execution methodology); and Valerie Taylor (shark expert, known for her conservation advocacy and films).

Homeward Bound is 100% self-funded, i.e. not ‘not for profit’ and not ‘for profit.’ You can help support them here.

Courtesy of Homeward Bound. Antarctica.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.

Courtesy of Homeward Bound. Antarctica.

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by Kess Broekman-Dattner. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.

IMAGE CREDITS:

Image: by ravas5. Untitled. Antarctica.
Image: by Fern Hames. “Finding Our Way.” Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.
Image: by Songqiao Yao. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.
Image: by Ute Hohn-Bowen. “Homeward Bound journey on Ushuaia.” Courtesy of Homeward Bound.
Image: by Dr Denise Hardesty. “Antarctica.” Courtesy of Homeward Bound.
Image: by Jess Melbourne-Thomas. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.
Image: Courtesy of Homeward Bound. “2016 Homeward Bound expedition of women scientists in Antarctica.”
Image: by Kess Broekman-Dattner. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.
Image: Courtesy of Homeward Bound. “Heading in zodiacs for the first landing.”
Image: by Betty Gausz Trummel. Antarctica.
Image: by Mary-Anne Lea. “Leopard seal on the sea ice on the way back from Palmer Station.” Courtesy of Homeward Bound.
Image: by Niina Kautto. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.
Image: by Songqiao Yao. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.
Image: by Songqiao Yao. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.
Image: by Carol Devine. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.
Image: Courtesy of Homeward Bound. “The Homeward Bound team pose at the entrance of the Lemaire Channel in Antarctica.”
Image: Courtesy of Homeward Bound. Antarctica.
Image: by Dr Denise Hardesty. “Antarctica.” Courtesy of Homeward Bound.
Image: by BN App - Download now!
Image: by Kess Broekman-Dattner. Antarctica. Courtesy of Homeward Bound.