The Manningham community is invited to celebrate International Women’s Day with an afternoon of inspirational guest speakers at the ‘Women Inspiring Women’ luncheon on Sunday 5 March.
International Women's Day is recognised globally and celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. This year’s theme is #BeBoldForChange and calls for bold action to accelerate gender equality.
Presented by Manningham Council in partnership with the Food for Thought Network, the ‘Women Inspiring Women’ event will feature remarkable stories from farmer, consultant, convener of the Victorian Women's Trust and founding member of Australian Women in Agriculture, Alana Johnson, and chair of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, Dr Jackie Huggins AM.
Other guest speakers include barrister, lecturer and founder of the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival, Evelyn Tardos, and advocate for cultural awareness, workplace diversity and cultural change, Maria Dimopoulos.
Manningham Mayor Cr Michelle Kleinert said that it was wonderful to see such terrific support for gender equality within Manningham from both men and women, and speakers who excel as leaders in their respective fields.
“Following the success of last year’s International Women’s Day celebration in Manningham, we look forward to once again celebrating with the community and continuing to educate, inform and support men and women as we push for greater gender equality.
“The World Economic Forum predicts the gender gap won’t close entirely until 2186 and this is simply too long for us to wait. International Women’s Day can be an important event for empowering our community to accelerate this social change locally,” she said.
Event Summary:
International Women’s Day – Women Inspiring Women Luncheon 2017
Presented by Manningham City Council in partnership with the Food for Thought Network
Sunday 5 March, 11.30 am – 3.00 pm
Manningham Function Centre, 699 Doncaster Road, Doncaster
Tickets $60 per person (includes two course lunch and a welcome drink on arrival with door entertainment and prizes)
For bookings and more information, visit www.manningham.vic.gov.au/IWD or call 9840 9405.
About the Speakers:
Alana Johnson
Farmer, Consultant, Convener of the Victorian Women's Trust, Founding Member of Australian Women in Agriculture
Alana Johnson is a renowned public speaker and facilitator of conversations. She is recognised nationally and internationally for her work in rural development, women’s advancement, leadership training and community activism. In 2014 she was named in the inaugural 100 Women of Agribusiness in Australia and in 2013 the inaugural 100 Women of Influence in Australia by the Australian Financial Review. A pioneer in rural women’s leadership in Australia, Alana is a founding member of Australian Women in Agriculture and former President of the Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women. Alana is a member of a fifth generation farming family, breeding cattle and growing trees near Benalla in Victoria.
Dr Jackie Huggins AM
Chair of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples, Consultant, Celebrated Historian and Author
Dr Jackie Huggins AM FAHA is the highly sought after Director of Jackie Huggins and Associates. Jackie is of the Bidjara (Central Queensland) and Birri-Gubba Juru (North Queensland) peoples. She brings four decades of experience to her consultancy after a long and distinguished record of public service and professional achievement. For her outstanding contributions to Australian life, Jackie has been recognised with a number of awards including the Member of the Order of Australia in 2001 for her services to the Indigenous community, particularly for her work with reconciliation, literacy, women’s issues and social justice.
Cr Michelle Kleinert
Mayor of Manningham
Cr Michelle Kleinert was elected Mayor of Manningham City Council in October 2016 and is a representative of the Heide Ward. Mayor Kleinert has been a Councillor at Manningham since 2012. She is incredibly passionate and proud of the City. As a long-term resident of the municipality, Mayor Kleinert attended both primary and secondary school in Manningham and is a strong advocate for youth in the community. She believes our youth are our future and it’s important we support them, foster their development and provide the best opportunity for them to achieve. She is a current Patron of ABCD: Arts Building Children’s Dreams, an Ambassador for Scouts Australia, and has been actively involved as a workplace facilitator for Bully Zero Australia. Mayor Kleinert is highly engaged in the community in which she represents and embodies Council’s commitment to be known for its ability to listen, and ensure it’s in tune with issues at hand. A vivacious personality with a background in the theatrical arts, Mayor Kleinert is well-known for her ability to connect and engage with people of all ages. She believes we are blessed to live in a beautiful City that has so much to offer, and wants to keep Manningham a place to be proud of. Mayor Kleinert is a member of Council’s Integrated Transport Advisory Committee, Manningham Charitable Fund Grants Panel, and the Sustainable Design Taskforce. She is also the Vice President of the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) and is highly-respected amongst her peers and the community.
Evelyn Tardos
Barrister, Lecturer, Founder/Chair of the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival
Evelyn Tadros has a broad practice in commercial, public and criminal law. Since coming to the bar, she has appeared at the Supreme Court of Victoria, County Court, Magistrates’ Court and VCAT as well as advised government, corporate and individual clients in a diverse array of matters, including those relating to administrative review, contractual and retail lease disputes, consumer law, defamation, human rights, planning law, family violence, extradition, professional negligence and a coronial inquiry. Evelyn has worked for over 10 years with various not-for-profit organisations. While completing her undergraduate degree, Evelyn founded and co-directed the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival. She is a regular presenter on Right Now Radio, a human rights focused podcast on Triple R. She is also a member of Liberty Victoria.
Master of Ceremonies - Maria Dimopoulos
Advocate for Cultural Awareness, Workplace Diversity and Cultural Change
Maria is nationally and internationally recognised as an expert on gender equality and violence against women with a particular expertise in working with multicultural communities. Much of her work has been aimed at promoting and enhancing a gendered approach in the ongoing complex legal and political reform processes and in ensuring the meaningful inclusion of diverse women’s voices and perspectives in those reform processes.
