A workshop aimed at connecting and empowering rural women will be one of the highlights during the upcoming NSW Women’s Week, according to Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders.
Watershed Landcare has secured $4896 from the NSW Government’s Women’s Week Grants to deliver a series of practical workshops from firefighting to fencing on Saturday, 11 March.
“NSW Women’s Week is all about bringing women together to celebrate and inspire each other,” Mr Saunders said.
“This grant will give women from some traditionally male-dominated industries the chance to build their confidence by learning some practical new skills and build connections that last beyond this one day.”
The event will comprise of:
- Fencing Workshop with a local female fencing contractor
- Pumping Workshop with local female Rural Fire Service Volunteers
- Permaculture Workshop with local female farmer
- Lunch Guest Speaker from Rural Adversity Mental Health Program, to support rural women and open doors to resources available
“I commend Watershed Landcare for putting together an event that celebrates our rural women, whether they’re on the land themselves or just passionate about environmental sustainability and giving back to their community,” Mr Saunders said.
Watershed Women coordinator Kennedy Porter grew up on a family farm near Dubbo but said women don’t have to be farmers to benefit from the event.
She welcomed the support of local businesses, as well as the NSW Government.
“This grant is a really great opportunity for us to showcase our Watershed Women initiative, which is not just about the environment – it’s that holistic approach to look after yourself, your community and your environment,” Mrs Porter said.
“You don’t have to be on the land – this is about highlighting a different demographic of women in our community, women who are self-sufficient, who are keen to focus on sustainability and looking for opportunities to learn new skills that they might ordinarily rely on other people to help them with.
“We’ve got everything from permaculture and fermenting, to portable pumps and firefighting to fencing – there’s something for everyone!”
NSW Women’s Week runs from March 6 to March 12 and promotes gender equality while celebrating the social and cultural achievements of women.
Other successful grant recipients in the Dubbo electorate include:
- $5000 for Narromine CWA Centenary: A Celebration of Country Women
- $5000 for Connecting Community Services (Dubbo) to host Elegant and Equal – A night out for Women
The NSW Women’s Week Grants Program provided grants of $3,000 to $5,000 for events that support at least one of the key priorities of the NSW Women’s Strategy 2023-2026.
These include improving women’s economic opportunities, health and wellbeing, and participation in community.
For more information and a full list of recipients, please visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/nsw-womens-week-grants