Nominations are now open for the 2024 Women in Community Life Awards.
The annual awards acknowledge the contribution women have made to the Greater Geelong community, and in particular, the impact they have made to promote and advocate for the advancement of gender equality.
The awards will be presented as part of the City’s International Women’s Day celebrations on Friday 8 March 2024.
The UN Women global theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is Count Her In: Accelerating gender equality through economic empowerment.
Greater Geelong Mayor Trent Sullivan:
I encourage you to consider women you know who have contributed positively to our community and consider nominating them for an award.
These awards form part of a number of awards programs hosted by the Council to target under-represented groups to ensure we equitably recognise and celebrate everyone’s contributions.
Gender equity is one of the Council’s five health and wellbeing priorities as laid out in our Community Plan and acknowledges the critical work of women and girls in our community.
Councillor Melissa Cadwell, Chair of the Women in Community Life Advisory Committee:
The Women in Community Life Awards provide the opportunity to recognise women who are often ‘unsung’.
We want to hear about women you know, from the quiet volunteer to the inspiring leader, who are working for an equal society in our Greater Geelong community.
Sharing the accomplishments and stories of women allows us to thank them for their contributions and helps to inspire other women and future generations – after all ‘you can’t be, what you can’t see.’
Award nominations are open across seven categories:
- Women in Community Life Award for Economic Empowerment – sponsored by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Barwon South West
- Women in Community Life Award for a First Nations Woman – sponsored by Parliamentary Secretary for First Peoples & Member for Geelong, Christine Couzens MP
- Women in Community Life Award for Disability Rights – sponsored by Barwon Health
- Women in Community Life Award for Leadership in Women’s Health – sponsored by GMHBA
- Women in Community Life Award for Climate Action – sponsored by Member for Bellarine, Alison Marchant
- Women in Community Life Award for Human Rights – sponsored by Zonta Club of Geelong
- Women in Community Life Award for Education – sponsored by Soroptimist International of Geelong.
Nominators can only nominate each woman in one award category. The nominee can be anyone who identifies as a woman or gender non-binary person and must live, work or study in the Greater Geelong region and be at least 15 years old to be nominated. Self-nominations are not accepted.
Nominations close at 5:00pm on Monday 5 February 2024 and will be assessed by a selection panel.
As well as the accolades and recognition, the award winners will receive a Wathaurong Glass artwork, a $500 voucher and opportunity for a ‘mutual mentoring’ session with a leader from the organisation that has sponsored their award category.
Category winners will also be invited to attend a lunch with the CEO of the City of Greater Geelong Ali Wastie and members of the Women in Community Life Advisory Committee in April 2024.
