The World Ocean Initiative has launched the Women and the ocean: Changemakers challenge.

 This competition, sponsored by The Nature Conservancy, aims to showcase leading female changemakers working to develop business solutions to achieve ocean-related sustainability. The goal is to ensure that women are visible across the ocean supply chain and that their contribution is recognised and elevated.

Three finalists will be invited to present their vision for a blue economy at the World Ocean Summit in Tokyo, Japan, on March 9^th-10^th 2020. “Blue economy” means a sustainable ocean economy that harnesses marine ocean resources for long-term economic development and social prosperity while protecting the environment in perpetuity. 

To help bring the changemakers’ ideas to life, they will receive guidance from renowned female ocean leaders, such Maria Damanaki (global ambassador for oceans at The Nature Conservancy), as part of a 12-month mentorship programme that will begin shortly before the summit. Finalists will be flown to Tokyo and receive a complimentary pass to attend the summit.

Entries are open now (enter here) and will close on January 6^th 2020.

Entrant profile

• Female entrepreneurs offering innovative solutions to some of the ocean’s greatest challenges, such as marine pollution, overfishing and overexploitation of marine resources, unsustainable aquaculture, marine engineering and oil drilling, and destruction of ocean habitats.
• Women who have been recognised locally but not yet by the international ocean community.
• Female drivers of change whose ideas could be implemented at scale to deliver rapid ocean sustainability solutions.

How to enter

To enter the Women and the ocean: Changemakers challenge, applicants need to submit a short video of no longer than 1 minute in which they address the following question:

“How are you contributing to the sustainable development of the ocean economy? How would you benefit from an ocean leader as a mentor?”

The video should highlight how your work or academic study is creating innovative, viable, scalable and action-oriented business solutions to sustainable blue-economy challenges.

For more information and how to apply, click here.

Story by The Economist