International Women's Day #Breakthebias - Dona Tantirimudalige

Changing the climate of gender equality

The 2022 International Women’s Day theme is Changing Climates: Equality today for a sustainable tomorrow– a theme that recognises the contribution of women and girls around the world, who are working to change the climate of gender equality and build a sustainable future.

We asked some local women to share their thoughts about gender equality and the women that inspire them. We also took the opportunity to get their insights on ways to tackle climate change – to help us live sustainably both which each other and the planet.

Dona Tantirimudalige, Managing Director, Westernport Water

Why do you think it’s important to have equality between the genders?
It is really important to me that I do my part to create a fair, equitable, and inclusive society, where we all feel welcomed and included, and everyone has the opportunity to make the most of their skills, talents, and lives.
Gender equality prevents violence against women and girls, and we all benefit when we value women and men as equal – it creates safer, healthier, and more prosperous societies.

Do you think gender equality is an issue in your workplace? Are there any steps you’ve taken in your business to support and promote gender equality?
Westernport Water and the water sector is deeply and fully committed to breaking down bias, and creating an environment where each and every person is set up to be successful. It simply makes good business sense to create an environment where every individual can make the most of their own unique skills.

I’m pleased and proud to be the Managing Director of Westernport Water. Our Board has five female and four male Directors, so from a senior leadership perspective it’s important to me that we are setting a good example. 

In 2016 Westernport Water created its first Diversity and Inclusion Plan which was delivered over the following four years. This was replaced with a new three-year strategy last year (2021). Gender Equity is one of the four key focus areas in our strategy and following recent completion of our workplace gender data audit we are finalising our Gender Equality Action Plan that will provide actions and activities over the next four years to support and promote gender equality.

Is there anyone you admire who has made a real difference to gender equality – either locally, nationally, or internationally?
The people I admire are very close to home for me personally – awesome women, who have been such huge influences in my life.

I deeply admire my gorgeous grandmother (Blanche De Livera) who, with nine children in tow, continued working in an era when that was not quite accepted. She and my grandpa created a family that not only deeply values family, but one where we all work to support each other to achieve whatever we want to achieve.

I deeply admire my wonderful mother (Lorna T Don), a passionate teacher who founded and ran a Montessori primary school in Nigeria where we lived at the time, and hired mostly women, focussed on a different way of education.

And I deeply admire my great-grand aunty (May Ratnayake – nee De Livera) who was Sri Lanka’s first female doctor (graduated 1916). By the end of her career, she had been chief surgeon at the hospital she worked at, had been the President of the Sri Lankan Medical Association, and was deeply involved in the Medical Women’s International Association.

Can you think of any local examples where gender equality is being promoted or taken seriously?
I think the way local business, sporting clubs and the community have come together on the Bass Coast to champion an end to gender-based violence has been incredibly important. International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and empowerment of women. However, it’s also about breaking down entrenched bias and barriers to success. If women cannot feel safe to explore the world and opportunities how they wish – we will not be equal participants. The contribution of the Bass Coast community to advocate for change really is encouraging.

If you were PM for a day, what would you do to change the climate of gender equality?
Simply though, listen, hear, and act to empower.

How will you celebrate IWD this year (professionally or personally)?
This International Women’s Day we will celebrate our resilience, reinvention and connection by coming together to hear stories from women within our community and be inspired by our keynote speaker Dr Nicki Vincent, Commissioner for Gender Equality in the Public Sector.

We are meeting with our friends at the Bass Coast Shire Council, Bass Coast Health and the Phillip Island Nature Parks at the Phillip Island Winery, and I’m MC for the event. I’m excited to lead the discussion and have the conversation on women’s equality to break the bias, stereotypes and discrimination.  Together we can all make a difference.

What kind of things is your organisation doing to promote sustainability and address the impact of climate change?
Westernport Water has committed to a 90 per cent Emissions Reduction Target by 2030 and Zero Net Emission by 2035 including a whole of government pledges to use 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025. But responding to climate change is more than just transitioning to renewable energy. Westernport Water is looking at how we manage our water and wastewater services with climate change being front of mind - all the time. 

Water scarcity is addressed in our Urban Water Strategy and we are looking for nature based wastewater solutions such as wetland systems that improve recycled water quality, provide a net carbon sink, and address the challenges of population growth and asset renewals.  Furthermore, our team is exploring land re-forestation, regenerative farming practices to store carbon and provide biodiversity and habitat for threatened and endangered species. 

Why should we care about climate change?
The impacts from our changing climate effects not just future generations, but us today, impacting everything – whether it is changing rainfall patterns, water availability and more extreme weather events, to impacts on coral reefs or rainforests, to impacts on how we produce food, and even deeply impacting bees.

We should care deeply about climate change because rainforests are awesome, snorkelling over coral reefs are breath taking, and turtles and puffins and polar bears and bees are glorious – and I want to do my part to leave behind a world where all those things thrive.

Although we can already feel its impact, we still have time to make a difference, by both limiting that impact, and adapting. 

What can I do to help?
Every action helps, but if we all do a little, it all adds up.

Everyone can help by being mindful of their water use. This reduces the volume of water harvested from waterways, reduces electricity (emissions) used for water treatment and ultimately the volume of wastewater that we have to manage at the other end. 

There are fantastic community organisations doing a lot of work in this space, such as Totally Renewable Phillip Island, and Phillip Island Conversation Society. I’d encourage people to look them up and learn from their experience.

We know that the community wants greater action on climate change response, so we are working to reflect this in our planning.

If there’s was one thing you could do locally to create a sustainable future, what would it be?
There are so many ways that we can all find a way to contribute. As the responsible authority for wastewater services it would be remiss of me not to mention responsible flushing. Only the ‘Three Ps’ – Pee, Poo and (loo) Paper, should be flushed down the toilet. Food scraps, fats, oils and grease can all contribute to blockages, which are costly to clean up and pose a risk to the environment and waterways. The marketing of flushable wipes is also a cause for concern. Just because something says it is flushable, doesn’t mean that you should flush it.