goals are monitored closely and updated to meet their goals of high quality of life , social and technical innovations , and conservation of resources . The success can be measured by the impressive top-ranking status Vienna holds for many titles , including “ World ’ s Greenest City ,” “ Highest Quality of Life ,” and “ Best City for Start-Ups .”
Ursula Bauer , from the City of Vienna ’ s Gender Mainstreaming Department , drew on the fictional image of a single Viennese mother and her daughter to outline the services available to help women live independent and selfdetermined lives ( SDG # 5 ). The commendable progress and transparency of these services can be attributed to the federal constitutional requirement for all municipal departments to make public their budget allocations for gender relevance and outline measures to reduce discrimination .
Karin Kuranda , of SDG Watch , analyzed Austria ’ s SDG record . While the country is a leader in sustainable development , it falls short on climate and sustainable consumption and , like many other wealthy nations , scores poorly on “ negative spillover ” ( the impact its actions have on other , less affluent countries ). This presentation helped us put global achievements in perspective .
AWCH had five representatives attending the meeting : Tracy M ., ( vice-president of Communications for The FAWCO Foundation ), Susan S . -W., Anna S ., and Jordan W ., as well as myself . This was my first FAWCO meeting , and I was happy I attended . It is one thing to sit in Zoom meetings for the various FAWCO events or to flip through their informative newsletters and website ... but to meet the women running the organizations , as well as the presidents , FAWCO reps , and members from other clubs , was truly a rewarding experience . big thank you to all members of the Working for Global Women team of the AWA Vienna for such an impressive meeting .
Inspiration in Vienna
‘ It is important for many people to do things imperfectly , rather than for a few to do them perfectly ’
Meeting in Vienna was inspiring in many ways . Vienna is a fascinating global city that combines history and modern trends : it is ranked first of the 10 greenest cities , is one of the 231 cities that offers a high quality of living , and is one of the 25 best cities for startups in the world . It holds the second position in “ Prosperity ” and holds the Inclusive City Seal and Award . I was impressed by the approach to
BY ANNA S .
gender equality in the City of Vienna administration and the “ Smart City ” concept . Smart City Wien aims at a “ high quality of life for everyone in Vienna through social and technical innovation in all areas , while maximizing conservation of resources .”
Apart from global issues , we had numerous discussions in smaller and larger groups about issues in different clubs . In our small group , we handled a topic of inclusion , a trend for our times . When we talk about inclusion , many of us think about including others . Inclusion starts with us and flows within us . And we , women , from different cultures and continents , know inclusion has its roots in a warm feeling of belonging .
I asked myself how FAWCO manages to provide the feeling of “ collective positive energy ,” as one of my friends called it , to all attending its conference . One of the guiding principles is , “ It is important for many people to do things imperfectly , rather than for a few to do them perfectly .” Being thankful , sharing appreciation , and acceptance is a great power that can unite many different individuals . Gratefulness is not about loving every little detail ; it is about appreciating the effort members make to turn our world into a better place . Think about women who worked on the board during the last years , who led activity groups , members you met at social events virtually and face to face . Remember those whose presence made you feel good , imagine their faces and their smiles , write a note thanking them for their effort and giving the details of what appealed to you , what you found particularly good , what you want to have more of . Being thankful will enhance the connection and a sense of belonging in the AWCH community .
Special thanks to AIWC Düsseldorf for SDG puzzle pieces . www . awchamburg . org 13