In 1995, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted by 189 governments and endorsed by thousands of activists from every part of the world – all committed to achieving gender equality.
This was a bold and transformative agenda for the empowerment of women and girls everywhere. The Platform for Action was not just a statement of intent; it was a roadmap toward a future where gender equality is not an aspiration but a lived reality.
Thirty years on, over one hundred women from across Buloke and beyond, gathered at Charlton Park for an event titled “Resilient Women. Empowered Communities” to reflect on the progress we have made and the challenges that remain.
Guest speakers Sophie Arnold and Fabian Dattner delivered thought-provoking speeches, challenging attendees to dream, take risks, take action and show up, and the panel of four remarkable young women inspired everyone.
Attendees were further motivated and challenged by the networking opportunities, engaging with other passionate and accomplished individuals in the room, as they enjoyed delicious food provided by Tuscan on Calder and drinks from Kaylene Cossar and Kim Thompson at the bar.
Welcome to Country
The day commenced on a high with an emotional and spine-tingling Welcome to Country incorporating meaning and music from Rebecca Phillips, a proud Djaara (People of the land) and Pangerang (Tall Trees People) woman of Central and North East Victoria.
Sustainable Development Goals
Sophie Arnold, executive manager of United Nations Association of Australia (Victorian Division), provided good insight into the important role of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are an agenda for providing peace and prosperity for all people and our planet and they underpin the work of Neighbourhood Houses all across Australia.
They are interlinked goals capturing almost every aspect of life, recognising that we must take a holistic approach to eradicate poverty, alleviate all socio-economic and environmental deprivations including combatting climate change.
Gender equality has a standalone goal within this agenda, while also appearing across many of the other goals as a cross-cutting priority, critical to driving success in health, education and economic growth.
In her address, Sophie showcased how we can’t bring into being the sustainable society we want, and our sprouting dreams won’t grow, without gender equality.
We know that women continue to experience economic inequality, workplace discrimination, under representation in leadership, higher risks of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking and health inequality, but we are making progress.
Encouragingly a thirty year old woman today (born in developed countries), has significantly more opportunities and freedoms than their counterparts of thirty years ago. They have greater career choices, access to education, control over their reproductive health, leadership roles, freedom to express themselves, both online and offline, and they can challenge traditional gender roles and expectations.
A woman born thirty years ago is also much more likely to have financial independence, more opportunities to travel independently and pursue their own interests and passions, as well as stronger legal protections against discrimination and violence.
In concluding Sophie highlighted that we still have work to do, and we all have a role to play, including men, noting that “it’s not a competition between genders, but a collective step forward. When women are included, empowered, and given equal opportunities, society as a whole thrives.”
Positive change in the community
Guest speaker Fabian Dattner challenged the group to be brave and step into roles that drive meaningful change, noting that it’s a “short life and a long universe”.
Fabian is the co-founder of Homeward Bound, an initiative which sends women leaders in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) to Antarctica for immersive leadership training.
Through Homeward Bound she demonstrated that the world needs more diverse voices in decision-making and ethical leadership which requires courage, self-awareness, and a willingness to be held accountable.
Nine things
Fabian focused on the 9 things needed “to make stuff happen”. These included being clear on the why, your values and your strategy. Find people who can do what you can’t, share your thinking, delegate, measure output, expect things to go wrong and review, revise and go again.
She implored everyone present to listen carefully, build trust, and empower others, creating environments where teams thrive together rather than individuals succeeding at the expense of others. ‘“The crazy is made possible by the first follower”.
Teamwork
Fabian highlighted the value of teamwork with a quick exercise on one attendee wish, Mary McLoughlan said she wanted to play Pickleball in Charlton. From this one comment, Fabian gathered seven people on stage who all thought they could help make this a reality. By the end of the day more people in the room had shared their solutions with Mary, which showcased how quickly an idea can come to fruition.
Fabian concluded by saying, “Your presence here today, supporting a local event, shows true collaboration. It is a sign of care, standing shoulder to shoulder with your neighbours from all different backgrounds and together as a team, you can make volumes of difference and achieve exceptional outcomes.”
The panel
One of the day’s highlights was the panel session featuring four inspirational young women who thoughtfully answered questions posed by host Jo Postlethwaite. Adding a dynamic touch, Jo adopted a game-style approach to engage both the panellists and the audience, making the discussions even more interactive and insightful.
Biographies of all the panel speakers were included in the day’s program and guests were encouraged to take them home to read, as the whole time allocation for the panel session could have been taken up highlighting the incredible achievements of the panel members.
Three of the four panel speakers, Hayley O’Callaghan (nee Warne), Monique Watts and Jenna Allan (Nee NcNicol) all grew up and completed their education in the Buloke Shire at Birchip, Charlton and Wycheproof respectively, and the fourth member of the panel, Bec Phillips, was also raised in a rural community, on a dairy farm where she was the only Aboriginal student in her school.
Bec’s passion is for her culture and country and she has been working on the revival of her traditional language Dja Dja Wurrung, through Djalli Bunjil (Language Knowledge) and reviving traditional and modern day songs and dances for her people. Among other roles Bec is an artist and creative, focused on her evolving culture and the chair of Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, trading as DJAARA.
Associate Professor Monique Watts is a senior cardiologist at Victoria Heart, The Alfred Hospital and Epworth Hospital and an Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne. Monique has established a regular cardiac clinic at East Wimmera Health Service and is a strong advocate for women’s cardiac health. Monique did remind attendees that heart disease is the biggest killer of women globally and it is a good idea for women over 45 to get a full Heart Health Check.
Jenna Allan was born and raised in Wycheproof and is currently Director Corporate and Organisational Performance at Buloke Shire Council following a diverse career path. Jenna studied a Bachelor of Applied Science (Property) at RMIT University and completed a traineeship with the Valuer General Victoria before becoming a qualified Property Valuer. After moving back to Wycheproof and the birth of her first baby Jenna has held a variety of positions in Buloke, including Manager of the Wyche Resource Centre, Capital Project Officer and Manager of Community Development at the Buloke Shire Council, and a Project Co-ordinator, Stakeholder Engagement for BCG.
Hayley O’Callaghan is an ex-student of Birchip P-12 School and a former elite netballer, who represented Australia. Hayley is currently the People & Culture Business Partner at Hawthorn Football Club, working closely with senior leadership across key areas including talent development, engagement, risk and compliance, and organisational design.
Prior to joining Hawthorn, Hayley held leadership roles across elite sport and corporate sectors, including General Manager of People & Culture at Melbourne Rebels Rugby Union and senior HR positions at Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Rural Finance and General Electric
Advice
Amongst the answers these impressive young women provided to the audience, were some key messages that included advice such as: “Keep turning up!”, “bring curiosity to the table”, “be seen, stand up and be heard” and “keep planting the seed, because the seeds grow”.
All the panellists admitted to experiencing moments of doubt, times when they questioned whether they truly belonged in the spaces they occupied, which is often referred to as imposter syndrome and can be a significant barrier to success.
The women provided some insight into how they overcome this mindset including tips like “recognising that everyone has something of value to give and acknow-ledging that you are exactly where you need to be and there is no one that can do it any better than you at that exact moment”.
They also said, “Knowing how to manage fear against imposter system” is important and “Acknowledge imposter syndrome, own it and move on”.
Whether in leadership, parenthood, or their personal life, the women highlighted that showing up and taking action is what truly defines them. Leadership is not about waiting for permission; it’s about stepping forward with confidence and recognizing your intrinsic skills.
Their advice to “Dream big and go after it”, “Not be limited by what other people say or what you think they’ll say”, “you are only limited by you”, “don’t underestimate how important you can be” and “be comfortable with you are” particularly resonated with the young people present.
A heartwarming aspect of the panel was the honesty and genuine gratitude the panellists felt for their hometown. They all acknowledged the collective contributions that their teachers, coaches, families and fellow community members had made in their successful journeys.
They were thankful they had grown up in multifaceted, multi-skilled communities where there were no barriers. Everyone did their bit, worked hard and had a strong sense of community and resilience. They highlighted the powerful people in the room and the influence that many of them had had on them and were continuing to have on other young people in their respective communities.
Everyone who attended left excited for the future, knowing that everyone experiences different challenges and makes different mistakes. But we can all learn from our own mistakes and other people’s mistakes without judgement, and we can all grow and achieve amazing things together.
The take home message was how much power there is in sharing ideas, working together, not tearing others down and being supportive, not competitive. Together we can all succeed and achieve the goal, “Empowered Women. Resilient Communities.”
Thank you’s
The event was hosted by the Buloke Neighbourhood House Cluster and organised by the Charlton Neighbourhood House and Wycheproof Resource Centre.
In addition to all the speakers and panellists, who were presented with a gift bag of locally sourced produce, emcee and cluster lead, Simone Christie, made a special thank you to Kaylene Cossar, president of the Charlton Neighbourhood House and Charlton and Wycheproof co-ordinators Cathie Hobbs and Marnie Durie, for their innovation and hard work in making the day such a success.
Simone acknowledged the financial partners who supported the event including the Australian Government, Victorian Government, Buloke Shire Council, Buloke Women’s Network, Mallee Neighbourhood House Network, Charlton Community Bendigo Bank, and Buloke & Northern Grampians Landcare, and thanked them for investing in the work of the Buloke Neighbourhood Houses.
And most importantly, a big thank you was extended to everyone who attended and demonstrated their commitment to building “Empowered Women. Resilient Communities”.
Attendees were encouraged to share the stories they heard at the event in their homes, workplaces, sporting clubs and in community settings. These conversations will ensure the vision set forth in Beijing thirty years ago will continue to pave the way for more girls and women to have incredible stories to share.
See all the pictures in the issue.
This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 28 March 2025.
