Women in Green Jobs
GREEN TECH ACADEMY participated in these amazing events highlighting women in sustainability and green jobs...Women in Green Jobs

 

Women’s Interactive Workshop: Women’s Perspectives on Climate, Energy, and the Environment - Jerusalem, Israel

The Trust–Emun organization presented a “Women’s Interactive Workshop: Women’s Perspectives on Climate, Energy, and the Environment” on March 19, 2012 as part of The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development’s “Climate & Energy Conference” which took place at the Adenauer Center in Jerusalem.
 
During the workshop, each participant briefly shared her (or his) own personal concerns about the environment. Christian, Jewish, and Muslim women religious teachers brought inspiration from their religions. Heidi Livingston Eisips, Executive Director of Green Tech Academy, shared some emerging–and even surprising–sustainability concepts and how women can make a difference.

The workshops intention was to create an Action Plan with practical guidance for women to take on the issues which were raised and discussed during the workshop.

 

 

Santa Clara County's Women & Girls Summit 2010:

Thriving in the New Economy

 

What was the Purpose of the Women and Girls 2010 Summit?

The Santa Clara County office of Women's Policy brought together policy makers, business and community leaders and advocates who recognize that

  1. improving the status of women is fundamental to sustainable economic development.
  2. ensuring true equality and opportunity for women and girls as part of the new green economy is imperative.

 

Report from Heidi Eisips, GTA Exec Director and Panelist at the Women & Girls Summit:

The Office of Women's Policy (OWP) of Santa Clara County reached and far exceeded the many goals they set for themselves for this amazing conference.  I hope that a similar Santa Clara County gathering will become an annual event.  The OWP staff set out (and succeeded) to secure a commitment from participants to pursue concrete follow-up activities in four primary areas that affect women’s ability to compete and thrive in today’s economy:
  1. Health
  2. Education (Promoting Women and Girls in Math, Science, Technology, and Sports)
  3. Economics
  4. Violence Against Women

Keynote speakemothers menu descriptionr Joan Blades, of MomsRising.org gave a rousing "call to action," reminding us that men and women alike benefit when the workplace is more equitable and hospitable to women.  Data supports that children and the economy at large also benefit, making it, well, an absolute no-brainer.  Yet many traditionalists drag their feet at making necessary workforce innovations to restore balance and sanity to our work rhythms and accepted practices.  Ms. Blades calls for action in seven areas, which she conveniently set to the acronym "M.O.T.H.E.R.S."  (see image at left) If we were able to provide these rights to all working parents, male or female, I believe we'd see amazing results.  Bottom line: it's just good business.  If programs are strategically designed and well implemented, productivity skyrockets, as does employee retention and engagement!

The day was similarly chock-full of amazing speakers.  Another speaker who stood out to me is Dr. Lynn Shaw, PhD.  She has a great message, a to the point delivery style and is funny to boot.  Dr. Shaw is an electrical technology professor at Long Beach City College, along with being a die-hard advocate for women in the trades, what many are calling "non-traditional roles."  Here are her top fifteen things to do in the workplace to increase the number of women:

Dr. Lynn Shaw's Top Fifteen Ways to Successfully Recruit & Retain Women

  1. Set a yearly goal for women or related to women
  2. Have diverse women pictured on outreach materials
  3. Ask your female (and male) employees about how to recruit women
  4. Use women role models for recruitment
  5. Give mother/daughter and father/daughter tours
  6. Partner with WINTER or another women’s group in both your geographical and occupational area
  7. Don’t use “he” “him” or the suffix “-man” when you refer to jobs
  8. Have a hands-on occupational open house
  9. Have an internship program
  10. Hire women in twos
  11. On worksite, have women’s bathrooms equitably close as men’s
  12. Pre-train men on how to accept women on the worksite
  13. Have tools and equipment suitable for women (e.g. think work gloves?)
  14. Remember that nothing is non-traditional
  15. And if you don't want them to steal your best tools, don't be afraid to spray paint them pink!

WOMEN IN GREEN JOBS RESOURCES

Santa Clara County Office Of Women's Policy http://owp.sccgov.org

Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, Green Jobs Report http://www.dol.gov/wb/media/Greenhome.htm

Mom's Rising http://www.momsrising.org

WAGES cooperative http://wagescooperatives.org/

Women's Environmental Network of the SF Bay Area http://www.wencal.org/