International Women’s Day: Zonta Bunbury celebrates gender-equity trailblazers achievements over past century

More than 100 people from around the South West gathered at the Mercure Bunbury Sanctuary Golf Resort on March 12 to celebrate International Women’s Day at an event hosted by Zonta Bunbury.

Zonta Bunbury president Kerry Kerr celebrated the many achievements made by women and men to improve gender equity in Australia over the past century, including gaining opportunities to property and legal rights, maternity and parent leave, no-fault divorce, and legislation for access to work and services regardless of race, gender or religion.

“Is there a way to go? Absolutely,” Mrs Kerr said. “And we at Zonta will be continuing on that journey.”

Five outstanding South West women were honoured at the event for their selfless work in the community.

Long-term volunteers at the Bunbury United Soccer Club, Carmela Garic and Linda Little, Bunbury Soup Van founder Denise Ladhams, Bunbury Mums’ Movement founder Ebony Beresford, and long-term volunteer at the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre, Carol Turner, were honoured as Zonta Bunbury’s 2023 Hidden Gems.

Guest speaker at the event Forrest MHR Nola Marino spoke about the visibility of women in places of power, and the importance of “you cant be what you can’t see,” and how this idea prompted her petition to have statues of women installed in within Canberra’s National Triangle near Old Parliament House, the statues of Australian political trailblazers Enid Lyons and Dorothy Tangney unveiled earlier this week.

Mrs Marino presented the club’s 2023 Young Woman in Public Affairs award to Charlotte Mills, saying she hoped the award would inspire her to keep doing her best.

She said it was the responsibility of this generation of women to “make sure the women coming behind you have even more opportunities that the women who came before us”.