South West women from diverse backgrounds with unique experiences came together last week on International Women’s Day to both celebrate and look at what still needs to be done.
A morning tea and panel discussion was hosted by Bunbury MLA Don Punch at the Bunbury Trotting Club on March 8.
Panel members included prominent female leaders representing a wide range of sectors within the community.
Mr Punch said the event had empowered people to think about things in different ways.
“It did go really well, a really good exchange from the audience on a variety of social issues but also on the understanding of communication and differences in communication, in and how it affected women in their various leadership roles,” he said.
“In terms of social issues it was clear there were issues around pay inequality, violence and certainly around health.”
News presenter Shauna Willis was the moderator for the panel discussion and asked a variety of questions including ‘what was the most important issue to you as a woman living in the South West?’
Anna Oades listed mental health, domestic violence, racism and a lack of retirement incomes among her top concerns whilst Lina Pugh highlighted the issue of homelessness in the region.
Karen Steele spoke about the guilt of being a mum and trying to work and the barriers to employment when flexible hours weren’t available.
Members of the audience also voiced their experiences with one woman sharing her story of losing her baby due to still birth and the lack of support thereafter. Another said she would like to see more support for sport.
“Even though the panel of women who are leaders in different ways, not in terms of a prescribed nature of I got this job as a manager therefore I’m a leader, but about people who influence or inspire or build teams and connections, who make things happen,” Mr Punch said.
“Equally in the audience a tremendous capability and you don’t know until you see it and people in the audience were talking about their experience and how they have solved things in a tangible way to change the inequality.
“For me I think the value of it is, me hearing the issues and getting sense of perspectives, issues that are there, but equally the conversation and what people got out of that.”
