FREMANTLE resident Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, Plastic Free July founder and director of the Plastic Free Foundation, was due to be inducted into the Western Australian Women’s Hall of Fame yesterday (Friday March 8) for her work addressing global plastic pollution and sustainability.
Ms Prince-Ruiz is also director at Containers for Change, has been a Churchill Fellow since 2015, and was awarded the Order of Australia Medal last year for “services to conservation and the environment”.
Ms Prince-Ruiz says she is “overwhelmed” at her induction into the Hall of Fame, which she says is an achievement shared with everyone who has contributed to better incorporating sustainability into their lives.
• Rebecca Prince-Ruiz was inducted into WA’s Women’s Hall of Fame.
“The amazing spread of Plastic Free isn’t testament to me,” Ms Prince-Ruiz said.
“It’s testament to the thousands and millions of people that have taken part, and done the work, and are making a difference.”
Ms Prince Ruiz says she will accept her place in the Hall of Fame to “shine a spotlight” on the progress that still needs to happen to invest in sustainable practices worldwide, and to eliminate the unnecessary use of single-use plastic globally.
“I think that this work has really shown that what we do does make a difference,” she said.
“The changes that we’re making in our own lives, when we all make change together, it does add up.”
“I feel like that’s a message of hope that that people need to hear.”
The 2024 Inductees were due to join the Hall of Fame at a ceremony marking International Women’s Day.
Other Famers include Melville resident Lorraine Hammond, who is an associate professor at Edith Cowan University’s School of Education and has worked in the areas of literacy, high-impact instructional teaching, and learning difficulty development. Prof Hammond was also a recipient of the Churchill Fellowship in 2002 and worked on the Kimberley Schools project in the northwest. She received an Order of Australia for her service to education in 2019.
Engineering
Fellow inductee Carolyn Oldham is a former professor at the University of Western Australia School of Civil, Environmental, and Mining Engineering. Prof Oldham has a diverse background in several disciplines including research into transport processes and environmental chemistry. She is a champion of women academics in engineering and is involved in programs addressing gender equity and is also a Fremantle resident.
Carol Dooley is also an inductee this year, as the first female International Ship Master from Western Australia. Capt Dooley’s career spanned several other roles in a heavily male-dominated industry, including Foreign-Going unlimited ship master, pilot and marine manager. She has also worked as the director of the Board of the Australian Maritime College at the University of Tasmania.
A photographic exhibition of all 2024 inductees will be touring WA over the next few weeks. A digital version of the exhibition was due to be be displayed on the tower at Yagan Square for IWD.
by KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER