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IWD 2022: An Interview With 5 Powerful Women in Sustainability

IWD 2022: An Interview With 5 Powerful Women in Sustainability

by Shahirah Azman

In conjunction with International Women's Day 2022 and UN Women's theme on 'Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow', we spoke to 5 inspiring women who've particularly made an impact in the local scene, and how they've envisioned, lead and created a platform for themselves with 'Sustainability' as an important anchor in their lives.

In this interview, we asked how and what inspires them to thrive and their personal take on how to pursue a sustainable lifestyle.


Susannah Jaffer | Sustainable Fashion

Founder of ZERRIN

Instagram: @zerrin_com

Remember that at its heart sustainability is about slowing down our consumption of stuff, which is something we can all do.

What do you do and how did you start?

I'm the founder of ZERRIN, a platform curating the best in ethical, emerging brands and content to inspire conscious consumption. I launched ZERRIN after becoming disenchanted with my role as a fashion editor back in 2018. Today, our platform features over 50 brands, vetted through our Better Brand Framework, which focuses on five 'P's: People, Planet, Product, Packaging and Principles.

Can you share one fellow female role model that you admire, and why?

My mum, for the sacrifices she made to raise my siblings and half-siblings and give us all the best start in life. 

What is the one tip you'd share to someone who's completely new in pursuing a sustainable lifestyle?

There's no such thing as perfection and everyone has different levels of access to being able to live and shop better. Remember that at its heart sustainability is about slowing down our consumption of stuff, which is something we can all do.



Linda Hao | Wellness

Founder of Omm Home

Instagram: @0mmhome

The only change we can make is within ourselves. 

What do you do and how did you start?

I'm a multi-faceted creative maker of Omm Home - a platform to explore all modalities of self-healing, through food, music and movements. I spend most of my time now teaching private 1-1 yoga, practicing somatic touch therapy and curating home dining experiences from an embodied philosophy of energetic healing and nourishment on a soul level.
I started my self-healing journey in 2016 when my past fashion career was at its peak, but noticed my spirit was going through a depletion. I was suffering silently with depression, anxiety and insomnia. That's when i started to retreat and gradually shifted into a slow-living lifestyle to take care of my physical and mental well-being. Through that, I managed to practice mindfulness and self-sustainability, to heal the self and others in need. 

Can you share one fellow female role model that you admire, and why?

Anthropologist Jane Goodall.

She was probably the first inspiring female model that came into my life when I needed the most encouragement towards humanity.  I discovered her documentary 'Jane' and was immensely touched by her life's dedication towards the wildlife and how important it is to protect our relationship towards the land and its living creatures. 

Her works motivated me to contemplate on our own individuals actions towards the ecology around us and knowing how our little actions can make an impact towards a greater change.

What is the one tip you'd share to someone who's completely new in pursuing a sustainable lifestyle?

Just remember, sustainability is a journey and it often requires a certain level of commitment to pursue. Take it easy and know that being able to take the first step towards change is already an achievement and inspiration to others around you. Don't be too hard on yourself. Discover slowly and enjoy this journey one step at a time. The only change we can make is within ourselves. 



Qiyun Woo | Sustainability & Climate Change

Creator of The Weird And Wild


Instagram: @theweirdandwild

Begin with your lifestyle in moderation.

What do you do and how did you start?
 
I run The Weird and Wild on Instagram where I communicate climate issues using graphics. I started this platform in late 2018 and have about 12.3k followers to date - it still blows my mind! I started when I started making infographics first my communities encouraging them to recycle. I am an avid doodler so as I was completing my Bachelors in Environmental Studies, I thought “why not combine both”? 

Can you share one fellow female role model that you admire, and why?

Plenty!! There are so many incredible female environmentalists, founders and community members that I derive strength, courage and love from. And not forgetting supporting figures, like my mom and other caregivers, whose unpaid care allows me to do what I do with such conviction. And also resistors that come before me, like the folks at AWARE past and present, who have allowed us to gain some ground on a bunch of issues that still set us back today. I owe my work and my energy to a whole community of awesome women! 
 
What is the one tip you'd share to someone who's completely new in pursuing a sustainable lifestyle?

It won’t be easy, starting a new habit and mindset never is. So begin with your lifestyle in moderation. This can look like ditching plastic for your morning coffee (and not blaming yourself when you don’t!), going for a monthly beach clean up or tree planting activity, or go vegetarian once a week.
Do it with people, it’ll help :)   



Radhika Mayani | Zero-Waste Stationery

Founder of Left-Handesign

Instagram: @left_handesign

As you get more and more experience it will get easier to lead a sustainable lifestyle.

What do you do and how did you start?

I am Radhika, the founder of left-handesign. Left-handesign was born out of the love for stationery and design. Creating a brand with 'nature' focus was the mission. Having a background in design and hospitality over the years brought in one question: how are we solving the problem of design with functionality and being sustainable in our daily lives? Working in a hotel I have seen a lot of waste which is created whether it's stationery, toiletries or food, I can go on :) The idea is to bridge the gap between the products we use, especially stationery in a sustainable way. We want our products in every household as a new way of living and going back to nature after its use.
Can you share one fellow female role model that you admire, and why?

Martha Stewart is an entrepreneur, an household name which I have seen growing up. She has been such an inspiration to create curious, innovative, and boundary-breaking spirit and infuse it into all of the content for lifestyle  to help make all aspects of everyday living a little easier, more beautiful.

What is the one tip you'd share to someone who's completely new in pursuing a sustainable lifestyle?

Go slowly, making small changes in your daily lifestyle. Identify things which can change and start with that. As you get more and more experience it will get easier to lead a sustainable lifestyle inspiring others around you!

 

 

Amber Soong | Ocean Conservation

Co-founder of The Plastic Project

Instagram: @theplasticproject.sg

The biggest key is consistency and effort.

What do you do and how did you start?

Founded The Plastic Project in 2021 Jan. Technically because of covid, but even if not, I would have start it up in Indonesia instead of Singapore as I was working there ad a scuba instructor pre covid 
Can you share one fellow female role model that you admire, and why?

Emma Watson. She's an advocate for everything she believes in. She worked, study and represented her advocacy works all at the same time.
What is the one tip you'd share to someone who's completely new in pursuing a sustainable lifestyle?

When it's starting to feel tough, think about why you even started this journey. It's okay to slip up once in awhile but the biggest key is consistency and effort!  


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We hope this interview inspired and brought insights on how to pursue a sustainable lifestyle, and hopefully it becomes second-nature to all of us so that we can do our part to protect the world we live in.

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