ACLW Leadership Achievement Award for Women Information
ACLW’s Leadership Achievement Award for Women (LAAW) ran in 2006 — 2009. It was established to recognise women in the community who use their own initiative to create and implement projects for the benefit of the community and in collaboration with the community. ACLW was known as CLW at the time. Individuals were recognised by CLW as Self-Appointed Leaders.
Applications were required to indicate a commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Project being discussed should be respectful of gender, race, religion and age. The Winners were awarded their prizes on 8 March, International Women’s Day of the following year.
- A number of individuals who are leaders in their field were invited to form a Panel of Judges with Diann Rodgers-Healey to evaluate applications and select the winning entries.
- Commercial Sponsorship for the Award was used to fund the prize for the winners.
- Individuals could nominate themselves for the Award or be nominated by someone else.
REQUIREMENTS CRITERIA
A “Self-appointed leader” is defined for this Award as someone who has taken it upon themselves to define a vision and implement it in collaboration with others. The vision could have, for the duration of the project, remained as the Self-appointed leader’s vision or it could have been developed into a shared vision, through the individual’s collaboration with members of the community where the project is based.
The Leadership Achievement Award recipient needed to demonstrate all of the following:
- A leadership achievement undertaken from January onwards in the form of a project that has a beginning, middle and end or continuing stage
- The project was designed on the whole for the benefit of the community and was respectful of gender, race, religion and age. The project promoted women and their empowerment.
- The recipient must have been the main co-ordinator of the implementation of the project.
- The recipient did not undertake the project as part of their working role or for their workplace, but may have used the skills and knowledge gained in their life experiences/roles and or career to create and implement the project.
- The project provided a demonstrable positive impact on the community of people and was well received in general and by key members of the particular group it was connected with.
- The project has the potential to be replicated at one of these levels: local, regional or national.
ELIGIBILITY
- Sex: Female
- Age: 18 or older
- Nationality: Australian or with Australian permanent resident status
- Must be a current financial member of CLW at the time of application.
- Specific educational qualifications are not necessary for an entrant to apply.
- Need not necessarily have been employed in a workplace or be currently employed.
SELECTION CRITERIA
- The scope of the project in terms of its aim to benefit the community
- The size of the project in terms of how many in the community it directly and indirectly benefited.
- The amount of personal effort the individual invested in the project from the beginning to the end in terms of being the person who was the main driver of the project
- The level of achievement that was accomplished by the individual without much financial support from external sources.
- The learning that the individual gained through the development and implementation of their vision
- The current status of the project in terms of how well it is being funded by external sources and how winning the CLW Award recognition and prize money would benefit its sustainability.
- The completion of the Award Application by the individual. Assistance can be sought to complete it, but the responses must be from the individual applying for the Award.
AWARD
- The Winner, Finalists and the Short-listed Applicants will be announced at CLW on International Women’s Day, 8 and a press release will be issued to the media and key leadership organisations in Australia.
- The Winner of the Leadership Achievement Award will receive: a CLW Leadership Achievement Award Certificate, publication of their profile in CLW; an Honorary Membership for CLW for 4 years and a prize of A$1200.
- Two Finalists will receive: a CLW Leadership Achievement Award Certificate, a complimentary CLW Membership for 2 years; publication of their profile in CLW and a prize of A$800.
- Eight Short-listed Applicants will receive: a CLW Leadership Achievement Award Certificate, a complimentary CLW Membership for a year and a prize of A$500.
The Awards were issued to all the winners by Post on 8 March International Women’s Day of the year.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCEDURES
To be considered for an CLW Leadership Achievement Award for Women, a candidate must complete an application form and submit it along with 2 letters from individuals who benefited directly from the Project, as well as a certified copy of a Birth Certificate or Australian Citizenship Certificate or Permanent Resident Status Certificate. The letters from the individuals who benefited from the Project must include their contact details.
If you have been short-listed for this Award, you may be required to email this application to the Director of CLW for electronic distribution to the Panel. You will be contacted by email to do so. After the decision is made, the winner, finalist and short-listed candidates will be required to email a photograph of themselves for publication.
All eligible applications will be evaluated by Diann Rodgers-Healey who will select 6 applications for the Leadership Achievement Award for Women Short-list. The Short-listed applications will then be evaluated by the Leadership Achievement Award Panel of Judges who will then select two Finalists. Further evaluation of the two Finalists’ applications will then be undertaken by Diann Rodgers-Healey in the form of telephone interviews of the candidates and their referees. Requests for further written information may be made at this point. After a review of all of these findings, the Panel together with Diann Rodgers-Healey will select the winner of the CLW Leadership Achievement Award.
Any individual, who works for CLW or is on the Leadership Achievement Award Panel or is a relative of any such persons, will not be eligible for an award under this program.
Honour Roll of Community Leaders
A number of Australian women who established self-initiating projects in the community and implemented them in collaboration with others were recognised by CLW for their leadership.
Winners of the 2009 Leadership Achievement Award for Women were:
- Dr Jill Tomlinson, Australian Federation of Medical Women (AFMW)
- Kath Mazzella for her vision in Gynaecological/Sexual issues
- Melissa Hughes for creating an ongoing support group for women and families
- Dr Cathy Kezelman for addressing the needs of adults surviving child abuse in the Australian community
- Margaret Hardy for developing the Significant Women of the CentralCoast books to record women’s stories
- Lynne Schulz for raising awareness about the problems faced by multiple birth loss families and for surviving multiple birth children
- Justine Kelly for promoting eco friendly fashion in less developed countries
Winners of the 2008 Leadership Achievement Award for Women were:
- Sarah Elston and Caitlin Grigsby for turning around a small scale Blue Stockings university event to a community celebration of women’s achievements within Gippsland to fund and encourage the education of women from diverse backgrounds, particularly students from Monash Gippsland and VCE Latrobe Valley schools.
- Juliet Bourke for being the driving force behind the Taskforce on Care Costs (TOCC) since its inception in 2003. The Taskforce on Care Costs was a strategic alliance between business and community organisations to investigate the relationship between work and the cost of care and to advocate reforms.
- Helen Anne Clarke for initiating support for women in drought affected areas of NSW through the “Hand to the Land” and “Renewal for Rural Women” Programmes
- Paula Curotte in founding the “Soufflé Sisters,” a choir for women, singing uplifting music for the community
- Danielle Ecuyer for founding the Women for Change Alliance to create awareness about climate change and sustainability
- Rhonda Obad for founding the Bridge Back to Life Foundation to help children and youth who are at risk.
- •Margaret Mary Gurry was awarded the Highly Commended Award for founding and co-ordinating for eleven years the Friday Night School for students of non-English speaking backgrounds.
Winners of the 2007 Leadership Achievement Award for Women were:
- Emma Kirkwood for her tremendous effort in raising awareness and funds for the silent issue of Stillbirth through founding the Stillbirth Foundation
- Jessica Brown for her achievements to break the cycle of abuse and suffering in Australian teenage girls by giving them a positive role model and having them attend a twelve month personal success program called the SISTER 2 sister Project.
- Indu Balachandran who developed for Youth Challenge Australia a Program that provides exchange and development opportunities for young people in Australia and India.
- Liz Everard for the Body Esteem Project in Western Australia for women affected by eating disorders such as Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa and body image problems.
- Gainore Atkins for developing the Hobsons Bay Women’s Referral Service in Victoria for women experiencing domestic violence or other abuse situations.
- Celia Bray for the Festival of Dreams Project in Tasmania for helping young people realize their potential and move beyond obstacles posed by lack of jobs, lack of support and services.
Winners of the 2006 Leadership Achievement Award for Women were:
- Hélène Gonski for what she achieved on a grand scale in relation to raising and working on the issue of grandparenting, that up till then had not been given any mainstream focus.
- Melanie Mumford for influencing change in refugee and asylum seeker policy by sending a clear message that Australians support the fair treatment of refugees.
- Louise Bannister for creating the six month Well and Able program that aimed to be an inclusive, fun, affordable fitness and social inclusion program in the form of a weekly fitness class with an individual program developed for each woman followed by social activities.
- Christina Borisavljevic for establishing a Counselling and Support Service in Boambee East, NSW where she together with others, provide free counselling for members of the community and the disadvantaged.
- Mary Hollingworth for reviving the Glen Innes Show Society Ladies Auxiliary committee of forty-five years standing and achieving outstanding outcomes for the catering/hospitality needs of the Show.
- Kathryn Keen is being recognised for providing an online Ozark and Ozbird communications and information network for wildlife carers across Australia.
Dr Jill Tomlinson, Winner of CLW’s 2009 Leadership Achievement Award
My vision was to improve the health and welfare of all Australians through the empowerment of medical women, providing doctors and medical students with leadership skills and improved networking and mentoring opportunities.
The medical community is undergoing rapid gender change – in the course of a generation women have gone from comprising a small minority of medical graduates to making up over 50% of each graduating year. Despite this women remain under-represented in senior leadership positions. The need to improve leadership capability among medical women is clear – without this Australia will be deprived of both the diversity of the work styles and values that women bring to the profession, as well as much of the capable pool of candidates to effectively fill such positions.
I designed this project under the auspices of the Australian Federation of Medical Women (AFMW), Australia’s only national organisation that solely represents female medical professionals. The multi-pronged project fostered friendship, communication, networking, respect, leadership ability and opportunities among medical women. I designed the project and subsequently obtained funding through the Australian Government Office for Women Leadership and Development Programme.
To encourage participation in leadership activities and networking I awarded 22 AFMW Leadership Scholarships totalling $15,000 to medical women (students and doctors) on the basis of need, assisting these women to attend the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) Western Pacific Regional Congress in Melbourne in October 2008. These women embraced the opportunity to speak with medical women from across the globe who had travelled to share their experiences and knowledge and wrote leadership essays which have been included in the Leadership Portal I established on the AFMW website.
I commissioned a leadership skills workshop for medical women through professional mediators Ms Shirli Kirschner and Mr David Bryson who graciously offered their time and expertise. This workshop was held at the Congress and was designed to empower medical women, specifically targeting areas of concern they had raised in pre-Congress questionnaires.
Strategies were developed and tools obtained to allow AFMW to communicate effectively online and electronically. The AFMW website was completely redeveloped using the open source content management system Joomla. An online subscription for our mailing list was developed and Web 2.0 strategies implemented, including the development of national and state Facebook groups and the establishment of a quarterly national email newsletter.
I wanted to empower women to develop their IT skills and overcome the common misconception medical women hold that website management skills are beyond their reach. I co-ordinated website skills workshops which were conducted in October 2008 at the MWIA Western Pacific Regional Congress and interstate over the following months. In these interactive workshops web designer Dinah Randall taught groups of medical women how to manage the AFMW website using a test website that mirrored the true website. To support self-directed learning and to reinforce the lessons learned in the skills sessions I wrote an instructional e-Book that women can use in conjunction with the AFMW test website to practice and gain confidence. AFMW now has the resources to allow medical women to publish e-Books and I hope that in future years medical women will publish and distribute advice and guidelines on a variety of health topics through the AFMW.
To harness the incredible depth and breadth of experience and expertise of medical women I developed the national Leadership Skills Database. This database records the interests, skills and contact details of medical women who are willing to volunteer their expertise and skills to contribute to public policy and roundtable discussions on national health issues, such as the development of the 2010 Australian Government’s National Women’s Health Policy. Application forms are currently being distributed nationally.
Excitingly, while that the majority of initial project deliverables have been completed the project continues to grow, involving and benefiting an ever increasing number of women from around Australia through our shared vision for the health and welfare of all Australians. I feel blessed to have had the support of medical women across Australia who have assisted me in realising the goals of my initial project and am greatly excited by the possibilities and opportunities that continue to arise from what has already been achieved.
Finalists of CLW’s 2009 Leadership Achievement Award
Julie Gale
I set out to ‘wake up’ Australia about the issue of the early sexualisation of children in advertising and the media. I wanted to create a sustained public debate, and shift the notion that this is a ‘moral panic’ to the fact that, according to increasing research and child development experts, this issue is about the mental health of our children and young teens. Just under two years later there have been changes to the children’s advertising codes, changes to the content of young girls ‘ magazines and a senate inquiry into the sexualisation of children in the contemporary media environment. Submissions to the inquiry addressed issues such as: sexualised outdoor advertising, the effectiveness of The Advertising Standards Board, highly sexualised music video clips on Saturday and Sunday morning TV, sexualised content in young girl’s magazines, pornographic magazines at children’s eye levels in the public arena and the portrayal of children in advertisements.
The inquiry will be reviewed at the end of 2009.
Kids Free 2B Kids has thousands of people registered onto the website from a broad cross section of the community both Australia wide and internationally.
As the founder and Director of Kids Free 2B Kids, I am very proud that I have been able to raise such strong public discussion and help instigate so much change in this time frame.
Stephanie Taylor
After 12 years of corporate experience within the learning and development space I felt it was important to pay it forward. I have gained so much from the learning and development community from my mentors, managers and peers and this provided me with the motivation to create the L&D Professionals Forum in July 2007. This is a self funded initiative that I manage from home in my spare time.
The L&D Professionals Forum was founded so that like minded learning and development professionals could come together and network, be exposed to the latest industry trends and participate in professional development opportunities within the Sydney CBD. My aim was to empower the learning and development community by offering four events per calendar year drawing on the generosity of corporate Sydney to host events and industry experts and specialists to lead the events.
To support the L&D Professionals Forum aim, I designed and developed a website to act as a one stop shop for learning and development professionals and lobby potential hosts and industry experts and specialists at every opportunity appealing to their sense of generosity and the value of learning. I started the forum with a distribution list of 12 which has now increased to over 160 learning and development professionals in Sydney and is receiving keen interest from Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
I am very proud of this initiative and would love to see the L&D Professionals Forum continue to grow.
Short-listed for CLW’s 2009 Leadership Achievement Award
Kath Mazzella
I am in the business of saving women’s lives and life long health complications through sharing my knowledge. My vision is to bring professionals and health consumers together for the betterment of Gynaecological/Sexual issues and to remove the stigma and build confidence with “Below The Belt” issues through an International Gynaecological Awareness Day on September 10 annually. I am a woman whose experience of gynaecological cancer has taken me on an inspiring journey. A woman who went from knowing nothing about down there, to one who is now an empowered, assertive, understanding individual. I relate how my own experience altered me to how women in the community suffer in silence and of the need to give these women a voice. I want to raise the profile of this issue within Australia, by:
- Giving women better knowledge of, and responsibility for their sexual health
- Helping educators see the issues from a health consumers point of view and working together.
- Encouraging women to be proud of their “down there” instead of using incorrect terminology so that they acknowledge this part of the body and avoid significant psychological and physical health problems through suppressing their emotions and feeling dis-empowered.
Melissa Hughes
I set out to achieve an ongoing support group where women could come with their children and with their partners to seek help, validation and normalisation of their roles as parents. My objectives were to provide access to excellent facilities, qualified therapists and a qualified child care worker to assist women who are affected by a perinatal mood disorder. I have accomplished this and in the process know that many lives have been changed for the better. I am especially happy that by first helping the parents, we are essentially making the lives of children better too. The project validates the enormity of the role of a mother. It normalises the extreme feelings of overwhelm and isolation and empowers women to value their roles as mums.
Dr Cathy Kezelman
I wanted to make a substantial difference to the largely unacknowledged and unaddressed needs of the more than 2 million adults surviving child abuse in the Australian community. Through my work and that of others, the issues of adult survivors are now in the public arena and community attitudes are changing, with the erosion of the shame and stigma which has stopped people getting the help they need for way too long. Government and the health care community are now also becoming proactively involved to provide appropriate services to adults surviving child abuse throughout Australia through the provision of funding, education and training.
Margaret Hardy
My commitment in the early days was to get the arts accepted as an important part of life and to get the politicians and community to accept that advancement of society needed the arts to give soul, meaning, escapism from worry, a recording of history, and to bring people together to accept all genre of arts, importance to health, attitude, environmental awareness and business. I hoped the Significant Women of the Central Coast books would help to make everyone aware that by recording these stories we could learn from history, give women credence for their involvement in their community and the wider world and establish inspiration for young people to follow a path of appreciating what has gone before.
Lynne Schulz
In 1992 I set out to make a difference in the bereavement care world. I wanted to inform people, open their eyes to the problems faced by multiple birth loss families, and in turn create a supportive and positive environment for surviving multiple birth children. Although there is still a great deal of work to be done in the area of multiple birth loss, I feel that I have so far succeeded in chipping away at the huge wall of ignorance surrounding this mental health issue. One day, with stubborn determination and resolution, I will succeed in knocking that wall of ignorance down altogether.
Justine Kelly
I set out to create a consciousness that clothes are not disposable and not frivolous. Clothes affect the climate, clothes affect the economy and clothes affect politics. I created a website and e-zine without advertising driving the editorial. I have acted as consultant on fabrics to designers wanting to adapt eco friendly principals. I look at Fairtrade stores as more than charity buys, determining individual products that I could promote as fashion accessories. I petition and inform through newsletters to my subscribers and travel and interview to get the real story.
Highly Commended for CLW’s 2009 Leadership Achievement Award
Stacey Irving and Terania Shanahan
We co-founded AWARE, an organisation dedicated to raising awareness in the local community about global humanitarian issues, promoting equality and sustainable development.
AWARE’s Tanzania project is in process already as we are planning how to implement an aid program with a community in rural Tanzania. AWARE has also made connections with other organisations and University staff to assist in its development. AWARE is currently booking high school presentations on poverty for 2009.
Our functions and planned seminars for 2009 are hoping to highlight the connections between our lives and that of those living in poverty. Our long term goal is to implement AWARE’s own sustainable and locally driven aid programs in third world countries so that we can engage with our supporters in Australia through talking about these projects.
SARAH ELSTON & Caitlin Grigsby, Co-founders of The Blue Stockings Project
Sarah Elston and Caitlin Grigsby who are in their early twenties and are the founders of the Blue Stockings Association are the Winners of the 2008 Leadership Achievement Awards for Women. Together, they turned around a small scale Blue Stockings university event to a community celebration of women’s achievements within Gippsland to fund and encourage the education of women from diverse backgrounds, particularly students from Monash Gippsland and VCE LatrobeValley schools. In 2007 they were successful in raising twelve scholarships and in September of 2007, The Blue Stockings Association was initiated to ensure that the success of the initial event is replicated long into the future. Background Information:The Blue Stockings Association was initially supposed to be a one off project between Monash University Gippsland Student Union (MUGSU Inc) board members, Sarah Elston and Caitlin Grigsby, and a group of approximately 8 women and men within Monash University and the Gippsland community. Originally the idea was to host a small in-house dinner to raise some money from tickets for a small ($500) scholarship. The scholarship winner would be decided by nominations submitted by peers. Co-founders Sarah and Caitlin pursued a greater aim which later evolved into a gala ball where 13 scholarships of $1000 were presented to women of diverse demographics. The event and overall project which included a week of events such as business women’s discussion panels and an alumni luncheon, were an incredible success. In 2007, the Blue Stocking project raised nearly $30,000 solely from the generous support of the Gippsland business and general community, MUGSU Inc and Monash University.After the amazing success of the 2007 project, the Blue Stocking Working Party and its numerous investors and supporters were all unanimously passionate and driven about the prospect of continuing and growing the Blue Stocking cause, and as a result, Sarah and Caitlin established the project in September of 2007 in the form of an independent Non for Profit Body – Blue Stockings Association Inc. with the vision: Empowering Women through Education.At the time of Blue Stockings initial developments, both women were board members for the Monash University Gippsland Student Union Inc. Sarah Elston was in her second year as Womyn’s Director, and Caitlin was in the midst of her first term as Education Vice President of the Student Union. It was in this environment that both women feel they discovered the great need for support for women studying across various modes, and attribute their passion to do more, by the restrictions and barriers they both faced in their times as Student Union members.“The financial strains on the Student Union were so much so, that we were practically left with no other choice but to seek the financial support from our business community. We were both unbelievably frustrated with the limitations we faced as representatives of the Union, in both time and funding post VSU, and it was only as a result of this experience that we sought, and most definitely found, the many volunteers and working party members that dedicated their time and often, money to our cause.” Miss Grigsby states.“From day one we knew we hit a nerve. People were willing to invest is us, and we were thirsty to succeed. Sarah and I were surrounded by the most brilliant mentors, and encouraged by our family and friends to give it our all – so we did. The Gippsland business community really came to the plate donating thousands of dollars towards the scholarships and forums, and that support continues today”.Both Sarah and Caitlin are steadfast that the achievements of Blue Stockings cannot be solely attributed to them. However, both women acknowledge and exude great pride in its success. “We had no idea what we were in for. The whole experience has been an amazing, tiring, frustrating, uplifting and eye-opening experience – much like a roller coaster really. But it’s all been so worth it” explains Miss Grigsby.“The simplicity of it is, there is now a point of reference for women breaking the mould in Gippsland, and chasing their academic goals. There is a support for women looking to strengthen and develop themselves and by extension, providing significant benefit to their families and networks, by their own education.”Their plans for the future are clear – tackle Government departments for funding and support. “Blue Stockings has the potential to be something amazing. It is our vision to see the association providing short courses in everything from resume writing to changing a tyre, right throughout the year. We endeavour to develop the scholarships on offer to more financially significant amounts, and deliver them to women across the whole of Gippsland- from VCE level to University and TAFE students. We want to facilitate networking and relationships between Gippsland Women and business, and to empower Gippsland women to take on more leadership roles within our communities. We then intend to take on the world”. Sarah and Caitlin are currently seeking legal and financial advice around the structure of the organization, setting up working parties and organizing plans for the 2008 fundraiser and presentation ball in August.The winners of the 2008 Centre of Leadership for Women Leadership Achievement Award, are still in shock of the recognition they have received. Miss Elton explains; “This award means so very much to the both of us. To be recognized for all of the hard work we have and continue to put in, but in particular, recognizing the hard work that our loved ones and supporters have and continue to put in, is a great validation of the challenge and of the outcomes we have attained with Blue Stockings. On a personal level, this award helps us finally digest what we have achieved and what we are capable of doing. There is such a difference to be made in our communities to benefit women and by extension; they’re family, friends and communities. To be able to speak and advocate for these women is a real privilege. But to be told that we’ve done a good job, just makes you want to work even harder”.This Award, the winners argue, gives the greatest benefit to their cause. Miss Grigsby explains, “What we do, what we are working so hard for, is only strengthened by the support of this amazing achievement. It’s out there in a national forum, and it just makes it that little bit harder to ignore. We intend to use the confidence and encouragement we have gained from this accomplishment to invest ourselves in reaching greater audiences, helping more women, seeking more financial support from our government, and from our communities. This award highlights and confirms that our cause is a worthy one, and that all involved in the Blue Stockings Association are doing a great thing- something that deserves to be invested in. This award will bring the spotlight to the Blue Stockings Association, and to the voices of all women pursuing education and is testament to what a woman can do once empowered through education in whatever form it may take. We are so grateful for this recognition and for those who support this award. We hope that this award inspires other women to stand up and take action for what they believe in.Sarah Elston and Caitlin Grigsby’s formal note of thanks upon receiving the Award:”Being the winners of the 2008 CLW Leadership Achievement award has been quite an amazing step forward for both of us. We have had an increase in exposure locally and have had a high amount of community stakeholders express interest in becoming involved in the Association after the CLW award was announced. The 2008 Blue Stockings Inc Scholarships are looking to be increased to $1,200; with many sponsors from last year as well as several new sponsors contributing to the support of women in their pursuits of education. Personally; the receipt of the award has provided the both of us with a rekindled enthusiasm and drive to develop the Blue Stockings Association into a sustainable body that can provide support and guidance to women within the local community in an ongoing capacity. We would like to acknowledge that without the support of our sponsors in 2007 including the birthplace of the project at Monash University Gippsland and MUGSU Inc; our project would not have been as successful as it was. We are both incredibly honoured to be the 2008 winners and commend the other recipients on their efforts in leadership – it is very humbling to be amongst such inspiring women. We would also like to acknowledge the amazing works of the CLW founder Diann Rodgers-Healey, the panel of judges and the contributions and support of CLW’s numerous sponsors and key supporters.”
Finalist of the 2008 Leadership Achievement Award
Juliet Bourke
In 2003 Juliet Bourke established the Taskforce on Care Costs, a strategic alliance between business and community organisations to investigate the relationship between work and the cost of care (for children, elders and people with a disability) and to advocate reforms which were fair, economically sustainable and provided carers with real choice. Between 2003 and 2007 Juliet led TOCC, providing it with direction and energy. During this period TOCC published four major research reports on work/care issues and solutions, raised community awareness of the work/cost of care dynamic (via sustained media coverage and an e-card campaign) and stimulated the adoption of key work/family election policies. In particular in 2007, as part of its election policy the ALP committed to increase the childcare tax rebate to cover 50% of out-of-pocket expenses (capped at $7,500 pa). This commitment reflects a specific recommendation made by TOCC to reduce the high cost of care, and increase levels of workforce participation.Juliet Bourke was chosen as a Finalist for being the driving force behind the Taskforce since its inception. Her achievement brought about a profound contribution to the national debate on how to support carers. In inspiring a wide range of business and non-government stakeholders to join together to investigate the issues around work and care, Juliet created a benchmark model for how to synthesize the talents, resources and interests of disparate entities to meet a common need. Her achievement as Taskforce Chair demonstrated clarity of vision, creativity and integrity.
Award: Short-listed Applicants
Helen Anne Clarke
Helen Clarke has been working with rural women in the “Renewal for Rural Women” and “Women’s Wellness / Hand to the Land” projects since 2001. In 2007, Helen ran two gatherings in Walgett for rural women: (1) A “Renewal for Rural Women” weekend retreat that provided between 20 – 30 women with holistic support for their physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual lives (May 2007)(2) A Women’s Wellness weekend entitled “A Hand to the Land” which provided holistic well being supports for women.This is captured in a DVD entitled “A Hand to the Land”. (June 2007)”Through the “Hand to the Land” and “Renewal for Rural Women” programmes I aimed to support women in isolated rural areas, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I believe the programmes supported the women and in turn supported their families,” says Helen Clarke. Helen is recognised as a leader in the community for reaching out to women on the land and developing support for them in drought affected areas.
Paula Curotte
In July 2006 I set out to start a choir for women who wanted to sing uplifting music in a community setting. It was important to me that this is an inclusive activity, and that women who perhaps had never sung before, or who had been told that they had “no voice”, would feel welcomed and comfortable when joining this activity. Because of this, there was no requirement for members to be able to read music, to audition or to have had any prior experience with singing. Eighteen months later, I am delighted and proud to know that we have a vibrant choir of between 15 – 20 women who have been courageous enough to share my vision. We have joined together in fortnightly singing sessions, we have had four workshops, two performances – one in conjunction with another local community choir, made practice CDs and a DVD of our first performance and we are now looking forward to singing in Tasmania next July at the Festival of Voices. We intend to continue our goal of two public performances a year and plan to be part of the Multiple Sclerosis Society’s “Go for Gold” Scholarship Presentation evening in 2008.Indeed the Soufflé Sisters have achieved what our motto says: WE RISE UP SINGING
Danielle Ecuyer
“I set out to help create awareness on climate change and sustainability in my community. I was acting on the belief think global and act local, to create the necessary change that humanity must address as both a moral and economic imperative. My son is the light of my life and his existence gives me the strength and courage to stand up for what I believe in, which is a concerted effort at all levels of society to consider what legacy they are leaving for future generations.We are at cross roads in humanities history, where the old model is failing us and our beautiful planet. In order to survive humanity needs to recognise that without our richness of biodiversity and the resources that many of us take for granted, we will not survive and it will be the poor and lower socio economic groups that suffer the most. In the 21st century this is not acceptable. As a species we need to evolve to a higher plane of understanding, that real personal growth and satisfaction, comes not just from houses, cars, material possessions, but it comes with giving back and make the world a better place.When all is said and done and we leave this planet, our future generations will judge us not upon how much we consumed, but what we left for them. Surely our legacy to our children must be not only good health and an education, but a planet that they can survive in, without wars, famine and social injustice and inequity. In many ways Climate Change is a merely a symptom of the world’s greater malaise, that we just stopped caring enough about other human beings.”
Rhonda Obad
It was through the death of her son Tony in 1998 to a heroin overdose that the founder of Bridge Back To Life Foundation Rhonda Obad embarked on her journey in hope of making a difference for others. Rhonda has said that it has not been arriving at the destination that has been the most important thing but the journey getting there and all the wonderful people she has met along the way. Rhonda in 1999 founded Bridge Back To Life Foundation a not for profit organisation whose work is devoted to the enhancement of children and young peoples lives. For the past several years volunteers of the Foundation has worked tirelessly to secure builders and most materials for free to erect a home for youth at risk aged between 12 years to 18 years. This was achieved solely through the commitment of 10 key volunteers. Consultations with Young Shire Council, Mayor Jerry Bailey and Tony Kelly Minister of NSW lands have helped to secure the land required to erect the home. This gesture of kindness from those concerned demonstrates a wonderful community spirit and is a further strong early indicator of the support this project has in the Young community of NSW. Building of the home will commence in 2008 and the building of the children’s lives will be ongoing.
Award: Highly Recommended
Margaret Gurry
Margaret Gurry is the Founder and Co-ordinator of the The Friday Night School which was created to give children from non-English speaking backgrounds, in particular refugee children from third world countries, educational opportunities not available to them to help them to achieve success in whatever vocation they chose. Margaret Gurry also wanted to break down the barriers of isolation and loneliness.The Friday Night School is based around a tutoring program held each Friday night. It has developed to include camps, scholarships, textbooks and computers and to enable wider social involvement from the children’s families The Friday Night School has over its eleven years, and with the assistance of hundreds of dedicated volunteers, enabled many children to succeed.
Emma Kirkwood Winner of the 2007 Leadership Achievement Award for Women
Founder, The Stillbirth Foundation
Emma Kirkwood is recognized for her tremendous effort in raising awareness and funds for the silent issue of Stillbirth, not likely to easily gain prominence in the community. Following the stillbirth of her daughter Olivia, in 2002, Emma Kirkwood promised her that she would establish a charity dedicated to stillbirth to raise awareness of stillbirth and to encourage research through fund raising. As she shared her story with those women who had given birth to a baby who had died, Emma felt they shared her dream and it gave them an opportunity to do something positive amidst their grief and pain.
“I had no previous experience in fundraising, so had embarked on a very steep learning curve. Armed with my passion and belief in the need for a stillbirth charity, I formed a group of mothers as the Stillbirth Foundation committee. We started with nothing. Through regular monthly meetings over coffee, with children running at our feet, we planned the Stillbirth Foundation. Finally, in Sydney in October 2005, the Stillbirth Foundation was launched over a fabulous lunch to a group of 120 bereaved families, friends and medical professional. Various Obstetricians, Neonatologists, Midwives and Social Workers were asked for their input and advice. The Stillbirth Foundation’s income was the major indicator of success. The Foundation has now become the organisation to which the press refer for stillbirth matters. The Foundation is still a voluntary organisation with all funds raised going to our cause.” (Emma Kirkwood)
The statistics show that 1 in every 100 babies born in Australia is stillborn or dies shortly after birth. Emma Kirkwood’s Stillbirth Foundation has a direct impact upon women. Both potential fathers and mothers involved in stillbirths must cope with the trauma associated with this. However, the impact upon the women involved is huge and deserving of direct and explicit attention as provided through Emma Kirkwood’s Foundation. Up until about 10 years ago, there was little provision for support for women (and their husbands and families) finding themselves in this position. The policy was to avoid the mother coming into contact with the dead child, and babies’ bodies were disposed of as ‘waste’ or buried en masse in unmarked graves.
There is still much work to be done, but through the Stillbirth Foundation under Emma Kirkwood’s leadership, stillbirth families are able to work, in memory and in honour of their own baby, to increase public awareness of stillbirth and raise funds for research so that ultimately other families will not have to live the tragedy that is stillbirth. As the application points out, the project is providing support and comfort not only to women who have suffered the child’s death recently, but ‘up to 50 years ago!’ This project enables those involved to positively engage in grieving enabling them to go on, and to develop and grow rather than being caught in a negative cycle. The Stillbirth Foundation is the only fundraising organization in Australia dedicated to stillbirth. It operates to ultimately reduce the incidence of Stillbirth in Australia . Under the leadership of Emma the organization has quickly grown to become recognized by the medical community. The website of the Foundation is: http://www.stillbirthfoundation.org.au/
Finalist of CLW’s 2007 Leadership Achievement Award for Women
Jessica Brown
Founder/Chief Executive Officer
Life Changing Experiences Foundation
Jessica Brown as The Finalist of the Award is recognized for her vision and outstanding achievements to break the cycle of abuse and suffering in Australian teenage girls by giving them a positive role model and having them attend a twelve month personal success program called the SISTER 2 sister Project. She founded a charity called of Life Changing Experiences Foundation with the purpose of funding and implementing this program. Since its inception in 2003, the Foundation has changed the lives of almost one hundred at risk teenage girls and their communities. The Project aims ultimately to encourage leadership and capacity for mentoring in the young women who are at risk and hence become involved in the Project. The encouragement of the young women to continue at school rather than dropping out is essential for enabling the young women to develop and grow positively. Jessica has an extensive waiting list of volunteers wishing to be big sister. This Project shows great initiative on the part of Jessica Brown, along with a capacity for leadership and persuasiveness in her ability to gain funding for the Project and support from government. The involvement of a large number of volunteers shows a high level of ability for leadership.
My vision was to break the cycle of abuse and suffering in Australian teenage girls by giving them a role model and having them attend a twelve month personal success program called The Sister 2 Sister Project. With the support of the wider community, I founded a charity called Life Changing Experiences Foundation with the purpose of funding and implementing this program. Since its inception, Life Changing Experiences Foundation has changed the lives of almost one hundred at risk teenage girls and their communities and by 2011 the program will reach over ten times this amount across four Australian states. Witnessing the girls achieve goals and seeing their mindset shift from “I can’t” to “I can” is priceless – the best achievement we could ask for.”
Short-listed Applicants for the 2007 Award are:
Indu Balachandran
Indu Balachandran developed for Youth Challenge Australia, a Program that provides exchange and development opportunities for young people in Australia and India.
Indu Balachandran wanted “to establish concrete links between Australia an India has been on the forefront of my mind for a number of years. I have sought to do this through personal advocacy, my interest in Indian classical music, and more recently my professional involvement in community development. It is my privilege to contribute to a joint volunteer program that bridges tow countries and provides opportunities for young people to engage in meanigful exchange and development.” (Indu Balachandran)
Liz Everard
Liz Everard for the Body Esteem Project in Western Australiafor women affected by eating disorders such as Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa and body image problems.
Liz Everard immigrated to Australia from the Netherlands in 2001. “It was my vision to start self help groups for women suffering from an eating disorder. I myself had suffered from an eating disorder and had benefited greatly from a self help group in the Netherlands. I wanted to implement the same model in Perth so that other women could experience the benefits of sharing with other women who had gone through a similar experience.” (Liz Everard)
Gainore Atkins
Gainore Atkins for developing the Hobsons Bay Women’s Referral Service in Victoria for women experiencing domestic violence or other abuse situations.
Gainore Atkins identified an urgent need for a local referral service which would primarily offer support and referral to women and families suffering from domestic abuse (either physical or verbal) in a rapidly growing area of the Hobsons Bay Municipality. Ms Atkins promoted her vision through a range of key networks that she developed within the local community over a period of time and through advertising in the local newspapers inviting people from the community to be a part of her vision. From this committee of management was founded which included women looking to assist those women and children in domestic violence situations in the local community. The service has been fully operational since 2006.
Celia Bray
Celia Bray for the Festival of Dreams Project in Tasmania for helping young people realize their potential and move beyond obstacles posed by lack of jobs, lack of support and services.
Celia Bray wanted to transform the perception in the community of Tasmania as a place of little opportunity where many young people feel the need to leave. She wanted to empower young people to believe in their own vision and ability to make things happen in their communities and their lives. By traveling around Tasmania consulting with youth workers and young people to find out what they thought about the project idea and what they wanted, her vision developed into a shared vision. The initial Project was a 2 day state wide youth forum and subsequent mentoring program. Since the initial Project 3 other forums have been run, a youth leadership program was developed, and a partnership is being explored with a youth peace organisation in Canada. The project is now an annual event and is considered a valuable asset in the youth sector by the Minister for Education, Office of Youth Affairs, local government and community members. 3 young people have won youth awards including the 2006 Young Tasmanian of the year Award for their leadership skills and contribution to their communities from their participation in the Project and the opportunities they have created in their lives since the project.
Winner of the 2006 CLW Leadership Achievement Award for Women
Hélène Gonski is the Winner of the 2006 CLW Leadership Achievement Award for Women. Mrs Gonski is being recognised for what she achieved on a grand scale in relation to raising and working on the issue of grandparenting, that up till then had not been given any mainstream focus. Hélène’s efforts extended over more than a decade and it was at her instigation that COTA (NSW) first took up the issue of grandparenting which subsequently gained support at both the state and national level. In addition to establishing practical support for grandparents through the Grandparenting Association, Hélène advanced the issues with policy makers and wrote two informative books, Grandparenting: a new challenge and A Gong for Grandfathers.
The two Finalists
Melanie Mumford and Louise Bannister
Melanie Mumford’s vision was to influence change in refugee and asylum seeker policy by sending a clear message that Australians support the fair treatment of refugees. She achieved this vision by persuading the Bass Coast Shire Council to declare the Bass Coast Shire a ‘Refugee Welcome Zone’. Melanie Mumford is twenty-one years old.
Louise Bannister as the Award’s Finalist is being recognised for creating the six month Well and Able program that aimed to be an inclusive, fun, affordable fitness and social inclusion program in the form of a weekly fitness class with an individual program developed for each woman followed by social activities. Well and Able is the first project of its kind in Australia . Ms Bannister is forty-two years old and has impaired mobility due to Cerebral Palsy. Both, Ms Mumford and Ms Bannister receive a complimentary CLW Membership for a year and a 3 month Opal Membership to Fernwood Women’s Health Clubs.
Short-listed Applicants:
Christina Borisavljevic, Mary Hollingworth and Kathryn Keen
Ms Borisavljevic is being recognised for establishing a Counselling and Support Service in Boambee East, NSW where she together with others, provide free counselling for members of the community and the disadvantaged.
Mary Hollingworth is being recognised for reviving the Glen Innes Show Society Ladies Auxiliary committee of forty-five years standing and achieving outstanding outcomes for the catering/hospitality needs of the Show.
Kathryn Keen is being recognised for providing an online Ozark and Ozbird communications and information network for wildlife carers across Australia .
Sponsors of CLW’s Leadership Achievement Award for Women 2006 to 2009
2009
- DIAMOND Award Sponsor: ANZ Bank
- Gold Award Sponsors: Australia Post, Avril Henry Pty Ltd
- Silver Award Sponsor: Living Now Magazine
2008
- Gold Award Sponsors: ANZ Bank, Australia Post, Avril Henry Pty Ltd
- Silver Award Sponsors: Living Now Magazine
- Bronze Sponsors: Melbourne’s Young Business Professionals, Leadership Victoria, Benevolent Society
2007
- Major Sponsor: NRMA
2006
- Major Sponsor: Fernwood
- Other Sponsors: Mother Inc.com.au, Living Now Magazine
Judges for CLW Leadership Achievement Award
2009 Leadership Achievement Award’s Panel of Judges
- Dr Jocelynne Scutt, Barrister & Human Rights Lawyer, First Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Executive Producer
- Christine Nixon, Chief Police Commissioner, Victoria Police
- Dr Shirley Randell AM, Senior Adviser, Senior Adviser Governance and Gender, SNV, East and Southern Africa Region ‐ Rwanda
- Dr Lynette Dumble, Founder and Director of Global Sisterhood Network
- Cheryl O’Connor, CEO, Australian College of Educators
- Karen Buczynski-Lee, Filmaker and Writer
- Diann Rodgers-Healey, Founder of CLW, writer, trainer and strategic planner.
2008 Leadership Achievement Award’s Panel of Judges
- Dr Jocelynne Scutt, Barrister & Human Rights Lawyer, First Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Executive Producer
- Dr Shirley Randell AM, Senior Adviser, Senior Adviser Governance and Gender, SNV, East and Southern Africa Region ‐ Rwanda
- Dr Lynette Dumble, Founder and Director of Global Sisterhood Network
- Carmelita Steinke, Director 2VoxFM, Radio & Media Specialist
- Cheryl O’Connor, CEO, Australian College of Educators
- Moira Rayner, Principal Moira Rayner & Associates, formerly Commissioner for Equal Opportunity (Victoria), Director of the Office of the Children’s Rights Commissioner for London, a Director of the National Federation of Australian Women and the Law Institute of Victoria, writer and lawyer
- Dr Sarah Maddison, Senior Associate Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, writer, media commentator for Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL) and a former Policy Officer for the NSW Department for Women
- Geraldine Robertson, Founder and Director of Women’s Web – Women’s Stories, Women’s Actions
- Diann Rodgers-Healey, Founder of CLW, writer, trainer and strategic planner.
2007 Leadership Achievement Award’s Panel of Judges
- Dr Jocelynne Scutt, Barrister, First Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Barrister & Human Rights Lawyer, and Executive Producer
- Dr Shirley Randell AM, Senior Adviser,
- Senior Adviser Governance and Gender, SNV, East and Southern Africa Region ‐ Rwanda
- Dr Lynette Dumble, Founder and Director of Global Sisterhood Network
- Carmelita Steinke, Director 2VoxFM, Radio & Media Specialist
- Avril Henry, Executive Director, AH Revelations Pty Ltd
- Cheryl O’Connor, CEO, Australian College of Educators
2006 Leadership Achievement Award’s Panel of Judges
- Dr Jocelynne Scutt, Barrister & Executive Producer, Former Anti-Discrimination Commissioner of Tasmania & Executive Producer
- Dr Shirley Randell AM United Nations Project Implementation Specialist for the CapacityBuilding for Gender Mainstreaming Project in Bangladesh
- Dr Lynette Dumble, Founder and Director of Global Sisterhood Network
- Carmelita Steinke, Director 2VoxFM, Radio & Media Specialist
- Carolyn Leigh, Senior Project Manager, Communities Division, NSW Department of Community Services
The Hon Tanya Pilbersek, MP, Minister for the Status of Women
As Minister for the Status of Women, I congratulate the Australian Virtual Centre for Leadership for Women (CLW) on its successful program – The Leadership Achievement Awards for Women.
Australia needs more women in influential positions and we must inspire women to aim higher. It is important that women are encourage and supported to take on greater leadership and decision-making roles in every aspect of Australian society. Publicly recognising and rewarding women for their achievements and encouraging more of them into leadership positions will ensure that women’s issues are kept on the agenda and contribute to better outcomes for all Australians.
We have experienced significant milestones in the past twelve months with the appointment of our first female Deputy Prime Minister, our first female Governor-General and our first female Anglican Bishop. We need to keep this momentum going.
The calibre of past winners and short-listed applicants for the Leadership Achievement Award the Women is outstanding, as is the range of their activities and endeavours. I applaud CLW for providing an opportunity for women of all ages and walks of life to be recognised and supported for their fine work.. I am confident that the 2009 Leadership Achievement Awards for Women will yet again attract a strong field of contenders and i wish each and every one of them well.
I encourage everyone to support the 2009 Leadership Achievement Awards for Women.
The Hon Verity Firth, MP, NSW Minister for Women
Minister for Climate Change and the Environment; Minister for Science and Medical Research; Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer)
It is with great pleasure that I offer my support for the Leadership Achievement Award, established and organised by the Centre for Leadership for Women (CLW).
The recognition and support that this Award offers women in Australia is extremely valuable and I commend the CLW for acknowledging and encouraging women leaders in the community, especially women who use their own initiative to implement projects for the benefit of others.
As NSW Minister for Women, I understand the importance of empowering women to believe in their own unique leadership qualities, and this Award is one way to achieve that. I believe the Leadership Achievement Award is also an opportunity to contribute to the capacity building of women leaders and promote gender awareness in the community. I would encourage women and men to support the CLW’s Leadership Achievement Award and consider nominating eligible women for the Award. I wish the CLW all the best with the 2009 Leadership Achievement Awards.
Yours sincerely
Verity Firth, MP
NSW Minister for Women
The Hon Sue Ellery, MP, Western Australia Minister for Women’s Interests
As the Minister for Women’s Interests I support the Achievement Awards scheme run by the Centre for Leadership for Women. It is important we recognise those women who are using their time, effort and talents to make their communities right across the nation better places to live, work and play.
Here in Western Australia, I know that one of finalists for this award last year, Liz Everand from the Women’s HealthWorks Body Esteem Project, has improved the physical and mental health of many Perth women by working with patients suffering and recovering from eating disorders.
I would like to acknowledge the 2008 award finalists and winners who are all outstanding. They are all making a real difference to the lives of other women in a variety of ways, including: increasing public awareness about the true costs of unpaid care in the community, raising funds to give scholarships to women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and women tackling head-on the affects of climate change.
In the last 12 months alone, Australia women have certainly made some great ‘first milestone’ advances- our first female Deputy Prime Minister, our first female High Court Judge, our first female Governor General and our first female Anglican Bishop.
While achievements such as these are wonderful, I truly hope that one day occurrences like these will not be cited with such awe, and that one day they will be commonplace.
Having read about the wonderful work of the 2008 Centre for Leadership winners and finalists, I am confident that we will not have to wait too long for that day to arrive!
The Hon Jennifer Rankine, MP, South Australia Minister for Women
As Minister for the Status of Women in South Australia I am pleased to offer my support for the Centre for Leadership for Women (CLW) Leadership Achievement Awards.
The South Australian Government believes women should be full and equal participants in the social and economic life of the community. We’ve set targets on women in leadership positions in South Australia’s Strategic Plan. For equal representation of women on, as well as chairing our State Government boards and committees, increasing the number of women in Parliament and to have women comprise half of the public sector employees in the executive levels by 2014.
Recognising and celebrating the achievements of women is vital in promoting the talents and abilities of women and showcasing women as role models. The Women’s Leadership Achievement Awards, provide a great opportunity to acknowledge and honour the achievements of women in our communities.
I wish the Centre for Leadership for Women success with the Leadership Achievement Awards and encourage women to nominate.
The Hon Maxine Morand MP, Victoria’s Minister for Women’s Affairs
It gives me great pleasure to support the Leadership Achievement Awards for Women. Recognising leadership achievements is particularly relevant in Victoria as this year we celebrate the centenary of women’s suffrage.
Women’s leadership in a wide variety of roles has a very significant impact on achieving change in our community.
It is vital that women’s representation and participation remains strong to ensure the best leaders are drawn from a diverse range of community groups.
I congratulate the Centre for Leadership for Women on establishing the Leadership Achievement Awards and recognising the valuable contribution women make to our community.
The Hon Maxine McKew MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood Education and Child Care
I am delighted to give my support to the Leadership Achievement Award which recognises and supports the important and valuable role of women leaders in the community. It is encouraging to see so many women taking the initiative in leadership roles in Australia. I am particularly thrilled to have taken my place as a member of the Rudd Labor team at a time when we have appointed our first female Governor General. As the Prime Minister said on the occasion of the swearing in of Quentin Bryce:
It only took us 107 years, but we made it.
Sandra Nori, Minister for Tourism and Sport and Recreation; Women; assisting the Minister for State Development
Thank you for your recent email regarding the launch of your national Leadership Achievement Award Program for women. It is always pleasing to hear about activities that are occurring in the community which concern the role of women in our society.
The NSW Premier’s Department, Office for Women, would like to offer to support your promotion of this award by including it on our website in the near future. Congratulations on your 5-year anniversary and best of luck for the future.
Yours sincerely,
Sandra Nori
More support statements from:
- Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, Democrats Spokesperson for the Status of Women
- Dr Carmen Lawrence MP, Federal Member for Fremantle
- Jodeen Carney MLA, Leader of the Opposition, Northern Territory, Shadow Attorney-General, Shadow Minister for Justice, Women’s Policy, AustralAsia Railway
- Katy Gallagher MLA, ACT Minister for Women
- Tanya Plibersek, Shadow Minister for Child Care; Youth; Women
- Desley Boyle MP, Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women