These awards are all about celebrating Greater Geelong's remarkable women.
Embracing the spirit of recognition and empowerment, nominations are officially underway for the highly anticipated 2024 Women in Community Life Awards in Greater Geelong.
This annual celebration honours the extraordinary contributions made by women to the local community, spotlighting their efforts in championing gender equality.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around the region here.
Scheduled to coincide with the City’s International Women’s Day festivities on Friday 8 March 2024, these awards stand as a testament to the pivotal role women play in shaping the community. The global theme for International Women’s Day 2024, as designated by UN Women, is “Count Her In: Accelerating gender equality through economic empowerment.”
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Greater Geelong Mayor, Trent Sullivan, is urging the community to actively participate in nominating deserving women who have positively impacted the region. He highlights the significance of these awards within the broader framework of the Council’s commitment to recognising the diverse contributions of under-represented groups.
Mayor Sullivan notes, “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.”
Underlining the importance of gender equity, he adds, “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.”
These awards offer a unique opportunity to honour women who are often ‘unsung heroes.’ They encourage the public to share stories of women from various walks of life, from the dedicated volunteer to the inspiring leader, all working towards an equal society in Greater Geelong.
In a bid to ensure inclusivity, nominations are open across seven categories, each sponsored by esteemed organisations such as Women’s Health and Wellbeing Barwon South West, Barwon Health, GMHBA, and others. From Economic Empowerment to Climate Action, these categories aim to spotlight the multifaceted contributions of women in the community.
Award nominations 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 put forth women or gender non-binary individuals, aged 15 or above, residing, working, or studying in the Greater Geelong region. Each nominee can be submitted for consideration in one award category. The deadline for nominations is 5:00 pm on Monday 5 February 2024.
Apart from the prestige associated with these awards, winners will receive a Wathaurong Glass artwork, a $500 voucher, and an opportunity for a ‘mutual mentoring’ session with a leader from the sponsoring organisation. The category champions will also be treated to 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.
In celebrating the remarkable women of Greater Geelong, these awards not only commend individual accomplishments but also serve as a beacon of inspiration for future generations.
For more details on award categories, eligibility, and selection criteria, interested parties can visit the official Women in Community Life Awards webpage.
