Five Victorian women have been recognised as finalists for the 2023 AgriFutures™ Rural Women's Award, celebrating their inclusive and courageous leadership across rural Victoria.
The Award supports Australian women to use and develop their skills to benefit a range of industries, including Victoria's $17.5 billion agriculture sector.
The Victorian winner will be announced in April and will receive $15,000 towards her project. She will also go on to represent Victoria at the National Award. This will be announced at a Gala event at Parliament House in Canberra in September and will earn its winner a further $20,000 towards their project.
In 2022, Kimberley Furness, founder and editor of OAK Magazine, took home the Victorian award and was later named National Runner Up at the 2022 Gala.
"I hear stories every week of rural and regional women doing amazing things, so I'm not surprised that our 2023 Victorian Finalists are of such a high calibre," Kimberley said.
"All of the initiatives being driven by these women are worthy of representing Victoria at the National Award, so I wish each of our finalists the best of luck."
This year's finalists are:
Grace Larson, from Kyneton, formed The Sisterhood Project to mitigate the barriers of distance and affordability for parents and carers in rural areas. The group provides free access to essential paediatric first aid training for vulnerable groups, in an aim to curb child mortality rates in rural Australia.
Nikki Davey, from Glenmore, is a co-founder of Grown Not Flown, which is a part of the slow flower movement that aims to encourage consumers to buy local from small-scale, sustainable farming practices. She would like to grow the Grown Not Flown platform to include florists, event professionals and other small businesses, while working with marketing specialists to educate flower consumers on the importance of buying local.
Neha Samar, from Shepparton, founded The Flamingo Project, a non-profit connecting women in regional Victoria from various backgrounds and stages of life to women who can help them grow personally and professionally. Bridging the gap between those looking to grow and those willing to help them succeed, the project is a community of women helping women that Neha hopes to continue to grow.
Michelle Daga, from Macarthur, founded Better Birth in the Bush to make birth education, happy and healthy birth and postpartum outcomes more accessible for all rural Australians. Specifically designed for rural people by rural educators, the platform will offer a self-paced online learning program for parents as well as group classes and a certified training program for birth workers.
Sarah Duncanson, from Greendale, founded PAEDS education to provide greater access to specialized training to improve support, reduce the burden of care, and improve the outcomes for children and their communities. The service offers carers hybrid and online paediatric training and education. In addition to the Victorian AgriFutures™ Rural Women's Award, the Victorian Government is supporting women in agriculture with the Rural Women's Network, encouraging leadership, resilience and connection for women in rural Victoria, and recognising the significant contributions that women have made across the state.
