Caption: Pictured at the St Arnaud International Women's Day event are, from left, guest speaker Johanna Medlyn and guest panel members Melissa Weir, Megan Hortle and Trina Summers.
A panel of inspirational guest speakers and an art exhibition featuring a 'March Forward' theme are the drawcards for International Women's Day celebrations in Stawell tomorrow.
Northern Grampians Shire mayor Karen Hyslop encouraged people to celebrate the power, resilience and achievements of women at Stawell Library from 2pm to 4pm.
International Women's Day has been marked internationally on March 8 since 1911 and involves celebrating women's achievements, raising awareness about discrimination and taking action to forge gender parity.
This year, events in Northern Grampians Shire feature a 'March Forward: For all Women and Girls' theme.
"Organisers have established a range of interesting speakers for the Stawell event, from diverse backgrounds," Cr Hyslop said.
Victoria Police First Constable Amy Stubberfield, council multicultural action project officer Patricia Alves and community member Karen Peacock will be among the speakers sharing their stories and experiences, along with three students from Stawell Secondary College.
"The multi-generational panel of women will discuss what March Forward looks like and discuss topics such as the challenges they have faced in the past, and continue to face today," Cr Hyslop said.
"They will also discuss the future for our younger generation – what is it really like being a young woman today? What do we need to change to promote a truly equal society?
"Come along to the library and find out."
Cr Hyslop said she also looked forward to the launch of the March Forward exhibition.
Community members have been contributing pieces of art throughout the past few weeks, based on the topic 'a woman or girl you admire'.
Wimmera artist Maylah Howells has donated two wearable artworks for the exhibition, titled 'Mother Earth' and 'Hine Moana'. The latter represents the Pacific Ocean in Māori mythology.
"The outfit 'Mother Earth' took 600 hours to make and is comprised of recycled materials or things that were being thrown out," Cr Hyslop said.
"The corset for the outfit contains more than 1000 tabs from soft drink cans, and there's a train made from woven raffia, with hessian and embroidery in the dress. It's amazing, so come along and check it out."
The exhibition will run at Stawell Library until March 24.
The Stawell event follows a similar celebration at St Arnaud Sporting Club on Thursday last week.
Cr Hyslop said the St Arnaud community was treated to 'an inspiring celebration of women in sport, highlighting the progress made and the challenges still faced'.
Cr Hyslop officially opened the event, and her presence, along with that of Cr Jenny Greenberger, reinforced the importance of female representation in leadership and local government.
"We had a fantastic turnout of more than 70 guests," Cr Hyslop said.
"The highlight of the evening was an engaging panel discussion featuring local women, who shared their experiences with football and the role it has played in their lives.
"Among them, Trina Summers and Megan Hortle reflected on the challenges they faced in the 1980s when they wanted to play but had no opportunities, as women's football was virtually non-existent at the time.
"Their stories underscored just how much progress has been made – yet also how important it is to keep pushing for equality in sport."
Cr Hyslop said guest speaker Abby Weir, who shared her experiences via a video recording, provided another powerful moment when she shared her remarkable journey of recovery after a car accident that threatened to end her ability to play football.
"Her unwavering determination and love for the game serve as a testament to the strength and perseverance of women in sport," she said.
"Adding another important perspective, Abby's mum, Melissa, spoke about her experience as a parent and the ongoing challenges female athletes still face, even in today's era."
The event concluded with a screening of Equal the Contest, a compelling documentary about the Castlemaine Falcons and their fight to create and register a women's football team.
The film sheds light on the systemic barriers that still exist and the importance of advocating for equal opportunities in sport.
"International Women's Day is a time to celebrate progress, but also to acknowledge the work still to be done," Cr Hyslop said.
"This event was a powerful reminder that through community support, shared stories and continued advocacy, we can keep pushing for greater inclusion and equality in sport and beyond."
