I am a member of the Rotary Club of Seymour, the closest club to where I live. I wanted to put on an event for International Women’s Day, and the club was generous enough to let me have a free rein!
We had 50 women at the Brewer’s Table in Seymour on Friday 8th March 2019.
I had some great feedback from Spark Rural:
Holy crocodile, these 4 leaders nailed it this evening at Seymour Rotary’s #iwd19 event.
A smart, grounded and respectful debate on gender equality and the challenges of being female in regional Australia.
No pink goodie bags or feather fanning in sight.
What I’ve come to see, particularly of women in the country, how real our conversations and relationships are. Women are honest with themselves and who they are. They are not trying to pretend.
Sharing is open and matter of fact. It’s not done as a means, it is the end so we truly connect.
This evening, intensely personal experience was shared to challenge us and encourage us to reflect, learn and grow.
No matter our sex or gender, we are all in this together and we are responsible for cultivating the next generation, helping our children, nieces, nephews and second cousins etc be the best they can be.
We spoke about politics with our local State member, we spoke about gender traits with a highly experienced CEO of a disability organisation, we spoke about motherhood and being a woman in a male-dominated industry, and we spoke about culture and domestic violence.
Guests were (from left in photo) Steph Ryan, Lajita Allan-Agnew, Bronwyn Dunwoodie, and Rosey Panelli.
International Women’s Day is not another Valentine’s Day, if we remember its purpose to generate intelligent conversation about women’s issues.
