Don students with Governor General of Tasmania, Barbara Baker and Captain Madeleine Habib

As part of the Fearless Festival for women in Devonport, Don College students were invited to attend a dinner at the Paranaple Centre with special guest speakers including the Governor of Tasmania, Barbara Baker and Captain Madeleine Habib. The evening was aimed at inspiring young women and showing what women with goals and support can achieve. Students who attended the evening said it was an inspiring event and had been a great opportunity for them to see amazing leaders and role models. 

Guest Speaker Profile:

Madeleine Habib is a ship's captain, a humanitarian and an activist. For more than 35 years she has engaged her seafaring skills to fight for environmental causes and social justice issues around the world.

In 1995 she was the Greenpeace zodiac driver who chained herself to the nuclear drilling site at Mururoa Atoll to prevent French testing. In 2016 she was the captain of the Women's Boat to Gaza, sailing a yacht full of world leaders to break the cruel and unjust Israeli siege of Gaza.

Throughout her unconventional career Madeleine has worked on a huge variety of vessels engaged in many challenging projects. She has been captain of CSIRO’s research vessel, migrant rescue ships, a medical aid ship in Papua New Guinea and a sailing cargo ship in the Pacific.

Most recently she has been combining her maritime and humanitarian skills as shipping officer for World Food Programme. This has led her to the Horn of Africa and Haiti, creating maritime solutions to complex supply chain issues.

Madeleine has risen through the ranks of one of the world's most male dominated industries to hold an Unlimited Master's license. Women make up less than 2% of international seafarers. She is a champion for women in the maritime sector and is keen to promote opportunities for women at sea.