AN overwhelming response to the 2024 Blacktown City Council Women’s Forum delivered an enormous collection of strong ideas and connections to make the community more inclusive.
More than 200 women attended the forum held last month at Bowman Hall, many of them community leaders who discussed solutions to a range of community issues.
Notable speakers were Council Women’s Advisory Committee Chair Cr Julie Griffiths AM, Blacktown Police Area Command Detective Inspector Kylie Evans, SydWest Multicultural Services CEO Elfa Moraitakis and Australian Catholic University Blacktown Dean Dr Valentine Mukuria.
Previous recipients of the Blacktown City Woman of the Year award, Angela Van Dyke (2024) and Emie Roy (2023), also spoke at the forum.
In feedback sessions, women worked together and suggested solutions to challenges they face in fields such as education, health, financial literacy and more.
All feedback ideas will form part of a forum report outlining recommendations and calls for action.
The report will be presented to the Mayor and Councillors, Council’s executive team and federal and state MPs to guide strategic decision making.
Blacktown City Mayor Brad Bunting participated in the forum and was delighted by the huge response.
“The forum was fully booked, and it is great to see women seizing the opportunity to work with us on providing greater opportunities,” he said.
“We will use the feedback to better inform the delivery of Council services and advocate for other measures.
“We want women to have equitable access to opportunities. Helping women achieve their goals not only benefits them but society.”
The forum nominated to assist the charity, Share the Dignity, which distributes sanitary products to women at risk of homelessness, domestic violence and poverty.