AWE Newsletter - March 2021

Promoting, supporting and recognising the contributions of women in emergency management and disaster resilience across Australasia.

AWE Newsletter – March 2021

AWE Events
AWE Mentoring Update
AWE Scholarship Update
AWE Chapters Update
Sector News
Job Opportunities
Resources
Other Events

Welcome to the March 2021 AWE Newsletter

The Australasian Women in Emergencies Network would like to acknowledge that the recent public discussion of sexual assault and rape has been a challenging period for many women. Harassment, assault and rape are crimes, and we know that speaking up can be difficult. 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame recently stated:

‘When we share, we heal, reconnect, and grow, both as individuals and as a united strengthened collective. History, lived experience, the whole truth, unsanitised and unedited is our greatest learning resource. It is what informs social and structural change.’

For anyone who is or has been a victim survivor of sexual harassment, assault or rape, AWE wants you to know that:

We believe you
We are sorry that it happened to you
We are here for you

We encourage you to reach out for help, and anyone in need of immediate support can call 1-800-RESPECT.

Throughout March AWE is celebrating International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

The theme for 2021 is Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world which will celebrate the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

AWE is hosting a range of events for members, some in partnership with the Emergency Services Foundation, to help celebrate International Women’s Day – see the Events section below or the Events page on the AWE website.

We hope to see you there!

Don’t get lost!

If you or a colleague find that you are not receiving the regular AWE Network Newsletter, it might be because your registration isn’t up to date. If you have changed your email please update your information by registering again here. We don’t want you to get lost!

AWE Events

March 2021
5 March               AWE International Women’s Day Leaders Panel Discussion (online)
9 March               AWE International Women’s Day Breakfast Eastern Melbourne
10 March             AWE International Women’s Day Breakfast Canberra
14 March             ESF/AWE International Women’s Day event Wangaratta
16 March             ESF/AWE International Women’s Day event Melbourne
25 March             AWE Conversation (online)
27 March             AWE at the Victorian North East Emergency Expo 2021

Our website has been updated! It now includes a calendar of events so you can browse to find an upcoming AWE event to suit you.

AWE International Women’s Day Women Leaders Panel Discussion
AWE celebrates International Women’s Day 2021 by hosting a panel discussion with women who hold emergency management/disaster resilience leadership roles across the globe.
Friday 5 March 12pm AEST
Now available on AWE’s YouTube Channel

AWE International Women’s Day Breakfast – Eastern Melbourne
Celebrate International Women’s Day 2021 with your AWE colleagues at a breakfast with those who live in, work in, or simply love the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
Join us for a lively chat and reconnect over breakfast at Hutch & Co.
Tuesday 9 March 7.30am
Hutch and Co, 251 Main St, Lilydale
RSVP Amanda.

AWE International Women’s Day Breakfast – Canberra
Come along and meet your AWE colleagues and help celebrate International Women’s Day 2021.
Join us over breakfast at the Capital Eatery.
Wednesday 10 March 7.30am
Capital Eatery, 68 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra
RSVP Zoe.

ESF and AWE International Women’s Day event Wangaratta
AWE and the Emergency Services Foundation (ESF) will celebrate International Women’s Day in Wangaratta.
Join us for lively discussion, laughter and inspiration with your emergency colleagues. Please note that numbers are strictly limited.
Sunday 14 March 9.30am – 4pm
Wangaratta Performing Arts & Convention Centre, Cnr Ford & Ovens Streets, Wangaratta
RSVP Amanda.

ESF and AWE International Women’s Day event Melbourne
AWE and the Emergency Services Foundation (ESF) will celebrate International Women’s Day in Melbourne.
Join us for lively discussion, laughter and inspiration with your emergency colleagues. Please note that numbers are strictly limited.
Tuesday 16 March 9am – 4pm
ZINC at Federation Square, Melbourne
RSVP Amanda.

AWE Conversation – March: Natalie Egleton – CEO, FRRR
AWE is excited to continue to bring members its successful Conversation Series in 2021.
The March Conversation will see AWE Committee member Dr Margret Moreton speaking with the CEO of FRRR, Natalie Egleton.
No bookings are required.
Thursday 25 March 5 – 6pm AEST
Online via Zoom. Meeting ID: 890 3881 3178, Passcode: 641393
For further information please email Margaret.

AWE at Victorian North East Emergency Expo 2021
AWE will have a stand at the Victorian North East Emergency Expo 2021, so make sure you stop by and say hello.
Please note AWE will be there on the 27^th only.
Saturday 27 March 12 – 6pm
Nagambie Lakes Regatta Centre
For further information, please email Lisa.

AWE thanks ESF for their support of International Women’s Day 2021

Past Events

AWE was proud to partner with the Emergency Services Foundation to host an International Women’s Day event in Bairnsdale, East Gippsland, Victoria on 28 February. Almost 50 women (and a few men!) from across the emergency management sector gathered to increase camaraderie, support, and acknowledgement, and to understand and generate ideas to overcome gender-specific factors that influence mental health outcomes.

AWE’S Vice-President Amanda Lamont says she was taken by surprise by the candour, vulnerability, honesty and courage shown by the women speakers, not only in standing up to share their personal stories, but the stories of courage and fortitude and determination. Amanda said, “I was moved and inspired and went away hopeful about a future emergency management sector led by these women.”

Missed out on an AWE event?
Where possible we record our events, so make sure you head to the AWE YouTube channel where you can view last year’s Conversations, our International Women’s Day Leaders Panel and more.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on the AWE Events page.

AWE Mentoring Update

We only have a few mentors left under our current mentoring program, including:

Siusan MacKenzie, CEO, Emergency Services Foundation
Ruth Wraith OAM, Trauma and Disaster Consultant
Jillian Edwards, Director, Business as Usual
Melissa Parsons, Senior Lecturer, University of New England
Pam Sitko, Resilience NSW

Being mentored is a great way to help support your professional and personal development. Our mentors are highly experienced and can help boost your knowledge, confidence, motivation, skills, ideas and networks.

If you’d like to be mentored, or want to know more about the AWE mentoring program, please contact Lisa.

AWE Scholarship Update

The AWE Phillipa Woolf Scholarship will be available again in 2021. Here’s what last year’s recipients had to say:

I received the Philippa Wolfe Scholarship to complete my Diploma in Public Safety during 2020… I felt incredibly supported to complete each subject and Philippa was very understanding when work, life got in the way (working in Emergency Management during 2020 that happened a lot!).
Alicia

Studying with ACIM Solutions through the Philippa Woolf scholarship has been great. I would encourage others to apply for this scholarship and/or studying with ACIM Solutions. A great part of studying with them is that the teaching and assessments are tailored to your State, Agency, and Role. As a result, you get useful knowledge that you can apply straight away to your work/ volunteer role.
Christina

More information on the 2021 AWE Phillipa Woolf Scholarship will be available soon.

AWE Chapter Updates

Would you like to play a role in AWE? We’re currently recruiting Chapter Leads for:

New South Wales
Northern Territory
Victoria

Chapter Leads play critical roles in representing AWE, coordinating events and other activities, liaising with members and helping to shape the future of AWE.

Contact Amanda for further information about the Chapter Lead roles currently available.

Sector News

Awards for Excellence in Women’s Leadership. These Awards recognise the contribution of women at a National and State/Territory level to the advancement of gender equality across Australia. The 2021 Award recipients were announced recently and include Queensland’s State Health Incident Controller, the Australian Navy Women’s Strategic Advisor, and a member of NT’s Police, Fire and Emergency Services.

Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: March – May 2021. The influence of La Niña on Australia’s climate has had a pronounced effect on fire potential. More rain than usual in many locations over summer has helped to reduce the fire risk. However, autumn will still see hot and windy days that raise the fire risk in some locations. See the full details in the Australian Seasonal Bushfire Outlook: March – May 2021.

New website to help support people’s mental health recovery after disasters. With funding from the Commonwealth Department of Health, Phoenix Australia has developed a new website, the Disaster Mental Health Hub – an online source of information, resources and training for GPs and other health professionals who support individuals and communities experiencing the mental health impacts of disasters.

Vicarious trauma webinar. It is well recognised that emergency services are a high-risk industry and that first responders are often affected by trauma. What about other people who work in the sector in all manner of administration, support, and recovery roles? ESF’s Insight Conversation: Vicarious Trauma discusses vicarious trauma and its impact on people in the emergency services.

Release of new bushfire song. the fire song was written last year by nineteen-year-old Hannah Cooper, a self-taught singer/songwriter and producer from the Macedon Ranges in Central Victoria, living on Dja Dja Wurrung Country. Hannah released her song recently as a reminder that while most of the world has moved on, people are still recovering and rebuilding from last year’s devastating bushfires. the fire song can be heard here.

Job Opportunities

Australia
Program Lead Resilient Communities – Minderoo Foundation

NSW
Case Manager – Recovery Support – Bega Valley Shire Council
Emergency Coordinator – Transport for NSW
Project Officer – Recovery – Australian Red Cross
Coordinator Planning – Grade 7/8 – NSW SES

SA
Community Resilience Officer – Junction Australia

VIC
Policy & Compliance Lead – Volunteering – Australian Red Cross
Team Leader Relief and Recovery – Yarra Ranges Council
Head of Operations and Incident Management – Wildlife Victoria
Communications Advisor – Social Media – Victoria Police
Admin Support Officer Emergency Management – Greater Shepparton City Council
Future Drought Fund Program Manager – FRRR
Future Drought Fund Grants Officer – FRRR

WA
Senior Recruitment and Support Officer – DFES
Project Officer Emergency Management – Energy Policy WA

Resources

The Hummingly Pandemic Pack cards are designed to help you through tough times, especially when pandemic fatigue sets in. You’ll find tips, advice and messages of support based on decades of research into the best ways to get through tough times.

A new book, Untold Resilience: Stories of courage, survival and love from women who have gone before, shares true stories from 19 women whose resilience has seen them survive extraordinary global and personal tragedy.

A new UN report Civil society voices on the gendered dimensions of violent extremism and counter-terrorism responses, outlines views, challenges, and recommendations on the gendered dimensions of terrorism and violent extremism.

UNDRR is celebrating the work of women working in disaster risk reduction who are speaking up for marginalized groups and changing the way governments respond to COVID-19 to ensure that no one is left behind.

A new GFDRR report, Gender dimensions of disaster risk and resilience: Existing Evidence, reviews existing evidence and data on how men and women, boys and girls are impacted by, prepare for and cope with disasters.

Other Events

11 March W ebinar: Family violence in recovery – AIDR

25 March Disaster Recovery Conversation – Older people and disaster – VCOSS

9-15 May Tassie Trek for Climate Action 2021 Departure Two – The Climate Council

May Gender Justice in Disaster – GaDPod

6-7 July Emergency Management Conference 2021

12-13 July 2021 Disaster and Emergency Management Conference – ANZDMC

17-20 August AFAC21 powered by INTERSCHUTZ

19-20 August Australian Disaster Resilience Conference 2021

Newsletter contributions

The AWE Newsletter is published monthly. For contributions, queries or to let us know what you would like to see in the newsletter, please email us at [email protected].

About AWE

The Australasian Women in Emergencies Network (AWE) promotes, supports and develops the contributions of women in emergency management and disaster resilience to help build stronger individuals, communities and organisations.

Visit our website to find out more and join at www.awenetwork.org.au
Our mailing address is: [email protected]
To become an AWE member, please click here.
AWE badges are available from our shop.

AWE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work, and pays our respect to Elders, past, present and emerging.