International Womens Day 2024

What a day!

We celebrated International Women's Day at the beautiful St Aidan's Winery in the Shire of Dardanup on Friday 8 March, supported by South West Development Commission.

Thank you to all of our 120 guests who joined us for a sit-down luncheon. The perfect weather and location were just the beginning of what was to come.

To start the afternoon, Aunty Sharon Cooke performed an amazing Welcome to Country and had us all singing 'We are one'. It was such a special moment and we’re quite sure there was not a dry eye in the audience.

Our first keynote speaker Professor Cobie Rudd shared important data on the recently released WGEA Gender Pay Gap data in Australia and how we might achieve gender equality. She spoke of her passion for the Athena Swan initiative, the only recognised framework for gender equity, diversity and inclusion accreditation in Australia.

We then moved onto our guest speaker panel with Sharon Cooke, Shamara Williams, Tiffany Staples and Sonia Jurin, moderated by our Women in Business portfolio lead Mikaela Kerwin, who shared their stories of inclusion and views on how to accelerate progress. It was an excellent discussion that showed that across diverse industries and perspectives. The common thread of gaining understanding and working together is the key to success.

Our closing keynote Professor Lyn Beazley completed the afternoon with a message that left us with a sense that progress is indeed happening, but it is up to all of us to continue the important conversation. We are to believe in ourselves, always take pride in where we come from and to step forward in confidence.

Thank you to everyone who made this special event happen.

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