Habitat - Advisor
Wendy Rainbird
I have a Bachelor of Arts, and Diploma in Education, Geography from the University of Melbourne, and Diploma in Education, Primary from University of Canberra.
I taught at Secondary level in Melbourne as the Senior Geography teacher, and, after moving to Canberra I taught at Tertiary and Primary levels.
My teaching career was for 25 years.
After retiring, I was quickly invited to be an education advisor for the Australian National Biocentre, which was about living Sustainably. A team of academics and business people including architects and designers, worked on many aspects of living more sustainably. We ran seminars and I conducted workshops for professional development for teachers, and I continued that role for another large project called the Parliament of Youth for Sustainability open to all students in the Australian Capital Territory, ACT. This has been a very successful project.
I was on the Board of the Southern ACT Catchment Group for many years. It is an umbrella organisation for the many Landcare and Parkcare groups in the southern section of the ACT and I am still a member.
I am on the Board of Landcare ACT.
I have been the Convenor of the Farrer Ridge Parkcare group since 1991, so I have made an on ground, substantial contribution to that work. This was recognised in 2016 when I was awarded the Individual Landcarer Award in the ACT.
Four of us were awarded the ACT Citizen Scientists’ Award in the ACT Landcare awards in 2017 for our on-going, strong work in Waterwatch which is water monitoring on the Murrumbidgee River and its catchment. The results are used by Icon Water, the ACT water authority. I still do regular Waterwatch.
In 2018 I was selected and honoured to be on the ACT Women’s Roll of Honour.
In 2017, I was nominated as a finalist in the Australian of the Year, Senior, in the ACT.
In 2020, for the Centenary celebrations for the school I attended, I was one of 19 women deemed Inspiring Women of Camberwell Girls Grammar School over that period of 100 years.
I was asked to nominate to be Environment Advisor for the International Council of Women in 2015, and, after travelling to Izmir was elected to that position, to which I contributed for two 3 -year terms plus 1 due to Covid. I have researched and written many Environment Reports for ICW.
I have been the National Council of Women, NCW, ACT Environment and Habitat Advisor for many years, and have been Coordinator of Advisors in the ACT.
I was the NCW Australia Environment Advisor since about 2008, and have been elected to be NCW Australia Habitat Advisor. I have researched and written many Reports on a range of environmental issues, like climate change, over the years.
Plan of Action 2022-2025 for Habitat
– To empower women toward capacity building on awareness of housing rights and give them control
over land and property.
– To encourage and ensure the participation of women in decision making policies including
environmentally friendly housing.
– To provide access to clean, safe drinking water and good water management.
– To make cities and human settlements affordable, inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Suggested areas of work by the National Councils are to:
– Reduce poverty and homelessness for women and girls and their families and provide access to
adequate safe housing and basic services.
– Promote good town planning including clean water, sanitation and waste management.
– Promote proactive policies in favour of strengthening effective women’s rights to land and shelter.
– Urge governments to give women and girls full and equal rights to own land and other property
including inheritance rights.
– Work with respective governments at all levels to ensure good governance in all habitat matters
and that the principles of Sustainable Development Goals nos. 9 and 11 are adhered to.