INSPIRATIONAL stories and reasons why women should empower each other were shared at a Port Stephens Women in Business luncheon recently, which also raised $3000 for the Yacaaba Centre.
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Women empowering women was the theme of this year’s fund-raising luncheon, held at Horizons Golf Resort on July 29.
Four businesswomen spoke at the luncheon, each giving their own diverse take on the topic.
“You might think you are too insignificant to empower another woman; It’s a big, grand word,” Tracey Friend, manager of corporate strategy and planning at Milskil, told the 117 attendees of the luncheon.
“Then you should try enabling, encouraging, inquiring, supporting, chatting with, thinking of, having coffee with another woman. You don’t have to be doing something formal or be part of a big organisation or the big ‘kahuna’. You can empower your friends, family, staff, acquaintance, simply by being engaged.”
Mel Histon spoke about her encounter with human trafficking in Nepal, and how it led her to starting The Sista Code.
“Last year I registered a charity called Got Your Back Sista which works with the Yacaaba Centre and other refuges in the Newcastle and Central Coast area.
“We work with women who have escaped domestic violence and help them start their lives again. If we wish to live in a compassionate, kind and peaceful world where women are empowered, valued and free, we must start with ourselves.”
Port Stephens MP Kate Washington spoke about empowering women to gain positions of leadership.
“The representation of women at the top end of their career is particularly low in Australia,” Ms Washington said.
“On boards, women hold only 14 per cent of chair positions, 23 per cent of directorships.
“In my workplace, women hold just 26 out of the 93 lower house seats in the NSW Parliament and yet, this is the largest percentage of female MPs to ever represent their communities in the NSW Parliament.”
More than $3000 was raised on the day and donated to the Yacaaba Centre.
Lynn Vatner from the Nelson Bay-based centre, who attended the luncheon, said it was inspiring to hear from the guest speakers and thanked those who support them.
“We really appreciate the support we get from our local community; it’s so important for us to do the job we do knowing that we get that type of help,” Ms Vatner said.
“It shows how one end of the community looks after the other end of the community.”
Melody Williams from Totally Workwear, Salamander Bay, was announced as the winner of the Port Stephens Women in Business 2016 Business Woman of the Year award.
“Melody has shown incredible advancements in business acumen, confidence and management and we are all so very proud of her,” women in business president, Kylie Smiley, said.
