Carole Durussel

This three-week expedition was organised under the aegis of the Homeward Bound foundation, which aims to increase the visibility of women in natural sciences. This NGO, founded by four women, believes that gender equality is good for the environment. Why the South Pole? Because its virgin territory lies at the heart of the concerns about the climate and pollution. The voyage to the end of the earth included a number of meetings, notably about leadership.

Carole Durussel fell in love with the sea when whale watching as a little girl. She studied marine environment sciences and holds a doctorate in international environmental law. Based in London, she is Deputy Secretary of the OSPAR Commission for the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, an area impacted by overfishing and industrial waste. She contributed her expertise to the drafting of a treaty designed to protect marine biological diversity in areas of the high seas. Her voyage to Antarctica brought together women in highly visible positions. “You need role models if you are to get to those high-level positions,” argues Durussel. The contacts made during this expedition will be “an invaluable asset” for her future work, she says.

STÉPHANE HERZOG