ABOUT HOMEWARD BOUND MOTHER NATURE NEEDS HER DAUGHTERS
Homeward Bound is a ground-breaking leadership , strategic and science initiative and outreach for women , set against the backdrop of Antarctica .
The initiative , turned global movement , aims to heighten the influence and impact of women with a science background in order to influence future policy and decision making as it shapes our planet .
Launching in 2016 , Homeward Bound gathered the first 76 of a targeted 1,000 women from around the world , all with critical science backgrounds , to undertake a year-long stateof-the-art program to develop their leadership and strategic capabilities , using science to build conviction around the importance of their voices . The inaugural program culminated in the largestever female expedition to Antarctica , in December 2016 , with a focus on the leadership of women and the state of the world .
The project was the idea of Fabian Dattner ( leadership activist and partner at Dattner Grant ) and Jess Melbourne Thomas ( Antarctic Marine Ecological Modeler ). The two collaborated for six months to gain the support of significant scientific bodies , and women of influence . In November 2015 the project went viral globally , and by mid- 2015 the inaugural program was fully subscribed . The women selected for the program are from around the world and include : astronomers , engineers , physicists , science communicators , Antarctic and Arctic specialists , doctors and social scientists .
The 12-month virtual leadership program includes :
• Time at sea for approximately 3 weeks , led by Greg Mortimer OAM ( 2016 and 2018 ), setting sail from Ushuaia in Argentina
• Twelve days of state of the art leadership and strategic planning training delivered by Kit Jackson , Fabian Dattner and other experts in their fields
• Six days of a cutting edge science education program incorporating the most up to date and relevant research about the state and functioning of our planet delivered by leading Australian academics .
Why Women :
• Globally , women are underrepresented in leadership positions and change has been incredibly slow , despite increasing dialogue and process / systems changes .
• Women are emerging from college degrees as significant percentages of graduates and they take up a significant percentage of our workforce . However , they are in the profound minority globally when it comes to executive decision making roles .
• By giving these women the leadership and strategic skills , a sound understanding of the science , and a strong purposefully developed network they will be able to impact policy and decisions towards a sustainable future .
Why Antarctica :
• Regions of Antarctica are currently showing amongst the fastest responses to climate change seen anywhere on the planet
• The study of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean , and their roles in the climate system , provides critical insights into global-scale change , and the influence of human activities on environmental change
• The continent is iconic as a wild , beautiful and unique environment that has captured the imagination of many leaders in the past
• By taking this journey together we envision the experience will create strong bonds , inspire action and lead to extraordinary collaborations between the women
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