An inspiring and influential woman

21 Oct, 2019
 
An inspiring and influential woman
Marilyn Waring, Professor of Public Policy at AUT

The BBC has revealed its list of the top 100 inspiring and influential women of 2019 - and Professor Marilyn Waring is among them.

The AUT Professor of Public Policy was named on October 16 along with people such as climate activist Greta Thunberg, United States politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and footballer Megan Rapinoe.

"We were looking for candidates who had made the headlines or influenced important stories over the past 12 months, as well as those who have inspiring stories to tell, achieved something significant or influenced their societies in ways that wouldn't necessarily make the news," the BBC 100 Women team says.

Professor Pare Keiha, Dean of the Faculty of Culture and Society, says the announcement is terrific recognition of Professor Waring's international contribution to society.

"We are privileged to have a woman of Marilyn's standing here at the Auckland University of Technology," Professor Keiha says.

"Professor Waring's inclusion in the BBC's list of the world's most inspiring and influential women is well deserved."

PROFESSOR MARILYN WARING AT TEDX CHRISTCHURCH.

Professor Waring served as a New Zealand Parliamentarian between 1975 and 1984.

She was first elected at 23 years old, and her threat to cross the floor to support the opposition's Nuclear Free New Zealand Bill helped prompt Prime Minister Sir Robert Muldoon to go to the polls in 1984 - when he lost to Labour.

She has recently written a book about her time in Parliament, called The Political Years.

As an economist Professor Waring is well known for pointing out flaws in the use of GDP, advocating for the unpaid work often done by women to be counted.

She wrote the 1988 book If Women Counted and recently spoke about the topic at TEDx Christchurch.

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