“On my own I will just create, and if it works, and if it doesn’t; I will create something else. I don’t have any limitations on what I think I could do or be.”
Orpah
The above lines truly tell us about the essence of all the hardworking and optimistic women out there working in STEM. Women have not raised the bars high in every possible field, and the same story too goes with the women working in STEM and organising sustainable manufacturing, achieving paramount places in the same. Women have broken the typical stereotype of a male-dominated society and not only this but they have also reshaped the industry’s approach towards a more environment-friendly perspective.
Many women entrepreneurs and world female leaders have now developed their own businesses. This growth has not only resulted a rise in the GDP of the home country but also has led to the implementation of optimum manufacturing policies. Women have considered bringing several aspects into consideration for the same such as: Leadership management where they bring diverse point of views inclined towards sustainability goals and that too being efficient for long-term.
Innovation, is another major important aspect where sustainable manufacturing is kept at the frontier borders in manufacturing factories. This marks the use of eco-friendly products such that they reduce the amount of waste to be disposed, allowing to minimize carbon footprints. Women in manufacturing work together to offer excellent chances of collaboration, networking and collective development, by participating in industry forums, networks and establishing partnerships to share the best techniques suitable for our mother Earth.
Another important aspect that comes next is the inclusion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), where these principles are adapted into manufacturing operations, insuring positive impact in the environment. Education and awareness too play important role in the concept of sustainable manufacturing in STEM, encouraging others to also join them.
Some of these types of extraordinary women are as follows:
- Emily Reichert, who is the CEO of Greentown Labs- the largest cleantech startup incubator in the United States.
- Dr. Veena Sahaj Walla, who is a materials scientist and engineer known for her research in sustainable manufacturing and recycling, by developing the “Green Steel” technology.
- Dr. Leyla Acaroglu, who was a sailor first now turned into a sustainability advocate and developed UnSchool of Design, where she educates designers to incorporate sustainability into their manufacturing processes.
- Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, who has developed Biocon Limited, a step in the field of biotechnology industry.
Women’s participation in STEM fields, including all fields such as science, technology, engineering and environmental science, brings distinct unity and diversity in the process of development of sustainable market products. Thus, we can clearly say that, this inclusive approach not only gives fruitful results in more considerate solutions that echo across all segments of our society being deployed, but also can be a strong driving force in our industry’s advancement with time.
Written and Edited by: Nandni Ranpara
