Sophie Conlon
There was networking, inspiration, and empowerment filling the room when Women in Business and Regional Development Limestone Coast hosted their annual International Women’s Day breakfast.
About 100 locals came together to celebrate women and their achievements, by tuning into a livestream of the Adelaide IWD breakfast and hearing from a local panel.
WiBRD chief executive Jacinta Jones said it was a fantastic morning
“We could not have asked for a better response,” she said.
“It’s wonderful to be back and it was so good to hear from our local girls, they were fantastic.”
Also adding to the feel of success, the event raised more than $450 to be donated to the United Nations International Women’s Fund.
Via livestream attendees heard from Senator Penny Wong and US ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy.
Ms Wong spoke about her political career and said she was proud to be a member of a party with more than 50 per cent women.
“All of this is the result of women who so powerfully and clearly exercise their suffrage, suffrage that so many women fought so hard for,” she said.
She said it was important for women to be in leadership roles as inclusive representation reflected the whole community and would ensure the best decisions were made.
“Let’s make Australia one of the most gender equal societies in the world,” she said.
Ms Wong then told the audience of gender inequalities and inequities around the world.
Ms Kennedy spoke about her journey to becoming ambassador and the partnership Australia and America had.
“Today the world is facing challenges that no one country can solve alone, from the existential threat of climate change to global health and food security, migration, discrimination, and gender based violence, our strength comes from the fact that we are facing them together as we have for more than 100 years,” she said.
Former WiBRD chair Di Ind was the driving force in starting the IWD breakfast in the region and she hosted the panel where Liz McKinnon, Rhiannon Mathers, and Ebony Cunningham spoke about what equity meant to them.
South Australia’s first cross border commissioner Ms McKinnon said it was important for people to bang on the table and stand up for what they needed, she also said it was important to have mentors
“The most important thing I have had in my life is mentors, I’ve really leant on all of my old CEOs, I’m still doing that,” she said.
Timberlink process improvement manager Ms Mathers said it was important for leaders to be equitable in the workplace.
Working in a male dominated field, she said she had never thought about entering that environment as a woman, but that she would not have it any other way.
“I pursued what I was interested in, what I loved and I cannot give any advice other than to say to anybody to pursue what you love,” she said.
Owner of Brite Legal Ms Cunningham said in her line of work she often saw how women were financially disadvantaged in life.
She said family separation could amplify this burden women carry and it was important for them to be educated so they could secure the best possible outcome if there was a family breakdown.
“Divorced mums retire with 68 per cent less super than their married counterparts, that’s enormous,” she said.
