by Christina Treiber

The workshop „Women in Transformation“, organised by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Sustainability and the Austrian Society for Environment and Technology, presented five women and their success stories. Small groups discussed the approaches, challenges, conflicts and enabling factors the so-called „changemakers“ went through in their individual biographies and presented those in the plenum. This showed that most of the women were very strongly committed to solidarity and cooperation. However, they did not allow themselves to be unsettled by setbacks and, in some cases, demonstrated leadership qualities. The passion to make their dream come true and thus to achieve positive changes in society was common to all as a driving factor. With courage they went out into the world looking for opportunities and allies to achieve their goals and acted on serentipity. In situations of conflicts, it was important for them to know, „when it was right to fight on and when to let go“. They faced their fears and overcame their self-doubt. The women advise courage and wish for more people who want to go their own way