AWE Newsletter - September 2021

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

AWE Newsletter – September 2021

Welcome to the September 2021 AWE Newsletter

Gold! Lockdown gave us a great opportunity to watch this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games. Our women athletes have a proud history in the games with Sarah Durack being Australia’s first woman to win an Olympic gold medal at the 1912 Olympics, and Yvette Williams being New Zealand’s first at the 1952 games.

Since then, our women athletes have gone from strength to strength. In this year’s Games, New Zealand women won more overall Olympic medals than men, Australian women won more Olympic gold medals than men, and swimmer Ellie Cole became Australia’s most decorated female Paralympian of all time! Congratulations to all the incredible Australian and New Zealand women athletes, and especially those who won gold, including:

Australia:

Annabelle McIntyre, rowing
Ariarne Titmus, swimming
Cate Campbell, swimming
Chelsea Hodges, swimming
Emma McKeon, swimming
Jessica Fox, canoeing
Jessica Morrison, rowing
Kaylee McKeown, swimming
Lucy Stephan, rowing
Rosemary Popa, rowing
Emily Petricola, cycling
Paige Greco, cycling
Amanda Reid, cycling
Madi de Rozario, wheelchair racing
Qian Yang, table tennis
Lina Lei, table tennis
Rachael Watson, swimming
Vanessa Low, long jump
Lakeisha Patterson, swimming

New Zealand:

Caitlin Regal, canoeing
Emma Twigg, rowing
Grace Prendergast, rowing
Kerri Gowler, rowing
Lisa Carrington, kayaking
New Zealand, women’s Rugby sevens team
Tupou Neufi, swimming
Lisa Adams, shotput
Anna Grimaldi, long jump
Sophie Pascoe, swimming

7 Personal Gold Medal Achievements | Gold medal, Medals, Gold

AWE News

October 8 – Australasian Women in Emergencies Day!

Friday October 8 is Australasian Women in Emergencies Day, a day to recognise and honour the contributions of women to emergency management and disaster resilience.

We all need some fun in 2021, and what better fun than to celebrate together? Make sure you attend our Australasian Women in Emergencies Day Lunchtime Forum from 12.30-1.30pm Friday 8 October 2021 online. This is a great opportunity to get together with members from all over Australia and New Zealand. Book now!

You can also celebrate Australasian Women in Emergencies Day on Friday 8 October by:

Wearing your AWE badge or a touch of yellow
Decorating your workplace/desk with yellow – streamers, bunting, flags, food or flowers!
Printing out this AWE poster to pin to a noticeboard
Highlighting your AWE membership on social media (tiles will be available)
Joining with other AWE members near you for a coffee (virtual or in person) – watch out for invitations from your Chapter Leads

All AWE members will be emailed with further details. We look forward to celebrating with you!

NEW! AWE Blog Series

We’re excited to announce a new series of blogs by and for AWE members!

Our AWE Blogs series provides a platform for members to tell their stories, share their insights and promote their work. Articles will be published on the AWE website and will promoted via the newsletter and social media. We invite members to submit blogs, articles, case studies or other forms of writing on any topic at any time – click here for more information.

We’re kicking off the series with Women and crisis: knitting, community and cooperation by our AWE ACT Chapter Lead Zoe.

AWE Inspiring

Dr Kate Brady

Dr Kate Brady, National Disaster Recovery Adviser at Australian Red Cross, Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne and proud AWE member.

Dr Kate Brady joined Red Cross in 2008. In 2010 she was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to explore long-term recovery in the UK, USA and China. In 2011 Kate became National Coordinator for Recovery, responsible for managing the development of all aspects of Red Cross’ recovery program around Australia, including strategy, advocacy, training, resource development, policy and operations.

Kate has worked on disaster recovery efforts in every state and territory in Australia, and with New Zealand Red Cross to support the Canterbury earthquake recovery efforts. Since 2017, Kate has been the National Recovery Advisor at Red Cross. Kate is also a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, focusing on collective trauma and community recovery after disaster or upheaval.

Kate, we think you are AWE Inspiring!

AWE Events

AWE events are a great way to learn about and get to know other women in the emergency management and disaster resilience sectors. Keep an eye on our calendar of events for forthcoming events.If you’ve got a great idea for an event, know someone who would be a great speaker, or just want to get involved, email us!

Check out our morning cuppa catch up events in the Chapter Update section – it’s great way to meet and get to know other AWEsome members.

AWE Spring Social Networking Event

Join us at our quarterly AWE Social Networking Event on Friday 10 September at 5pm AEST.

We are putting a spring in our step for September and will be having a fun Trivia day/afternoon/night (depending on where you are) and there will be time for chatting and mingling afterwards.

Further details are on the AWE website at AWEnetwork.org.au/events

Friday 10 September 5pm AEST

Book now

September AWEsome Conversation

Join Anjum Rahman, Co-Lead of the Inclusive Aotearoa Tāhono, as she chats with AWE NZ.

Anjum Rahman is the Project Lead of the Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono. She is a chartered accountant with over 25 years’ experience, working with a range of entities in the commercial, farming and not-for-profit sectors.

Anjum also commits to various volunteer roles in the community. She was a founding member of the Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand, an organisation formed in 1990 to bring Muslim women together and represent their concerns, and is currently their media spokesperson.

Anjum will be sharing her learning as a woman in leadership and the key messages emergency managers need to know based on her experiences.

Thursday 16 September 4pm NZST (2pm AEST)

Book now

Australasian Women in Emergencies Day

Friday October 8 is Australasian Women in Emergencies Day, a day to recognise and honour the contributions of women to emergency management and disaster resilience.

Australasian Women in Emergencies Day lunchtime forum

To help celebrate, we’re hosting an Australasian Women in Emergencies Day lunchtime forum.
Come along to help celebrate the AWEsome contributions of women in emergency management and disaster resilience across Australasia with other AWE members.

Friday 8 October 12.30 -1.30pm AEST

Book now

We look forward to celebrating with you!

Past events

Don’t forget you can watch all our past Conversations. Check our webpage for more details.

AWE Mentoring Update

Ever thought about being mentored?
We have many fabulous women signed up for the mentoring program looking for a suitable person to mentor! You might be looking to learn from someone with emergency management experience or build a particular skill or be seeking career advice and guidance. Here are just some of our AWEsome mentors:

Explore the AWE mentoring page or reach out to Lisa Marie Jackson at [email protected].

AWE Chapter Updates

AWE ACT

Come along and meet your AWE ACT friends at a virtual morning cuppa on Tuesday 21st September between 8am-8.30am. Bring your morning coffee or tea, or juice, and be ready for an informal chat and catch up. Send an email to Zoe D’Arcy [email protected] or Amanda Lamont [email protected] for login details.

New blog
AWE ACT Chapter Lead Zoe D’Arcy reflects on women, crisis, knitting and community in the first in a new series of AWE Blogs. Zoe states:

‘…over the last century, women have been able to take on more diverse roles in both the emergency and defence sectors. However, knitting is still there. Red Cross encourage volunteers to knit trauma bears for children affected by crises. People knit penguin jumpers, to help protect Little Penguins from oil spills. Knitting has also become an activity for activists, with the advent of guerilla yarn bombing. And who can forget the pink pussy hats, that have grown from hats worn at a single protest march, to become an ongoing project aimed at bringing about positive social change?’

Read Zoe’s full blog here.

AWE NSW

Come along and meet your AWE NSW friends at a virtual morning cuppa on Tuesday 14th September between 8am-8.30am. Bring your morning coffee or tea, or juice, and be ready for an informal chat and catch up. Send an email to Amanda Lamont [email protected] for login details.

AWE QLD

Expressions of interest – QLD Chapter Committee members
We’ve had a number of generous QLD members express an interest in supporting the AWE QLD’s ongoing coordination, strategy and operations, and work is underway in bringing all these great minds together. However, it’s not too late to have your say! If you are interested in supporting and have some ideas to share and forgot to email, please feel free to reach out by emailing Jaimee Morgenbesser at [email protected]

QLD Virtual Afternoon Tea – Thursday 23 September 3pm
QLD AWE Chapter are hosting a virtual morning tea and would love to extend you an invitation! Please email Jaimee Morgenbesser at [email protected] for joining instructions.

AWE SA

Come along and meet your AWE South Australian friends at a virtual morning cuppa on Thursday 16th September between 8am-8.30am. Bring your morning coffee or tea, or juice, and be ready for an informal chat and catch up. Send an email to Amanda Lamont [email protected] for login details.

AWE TAS

Come along and meet your AWE Tasmanian friends at a virtual morning cuppa on Monday 27th September between 8am-8.30am. Bring your morning coffee or tea, or juice, and be ready for an informal chat and catch up. Send an email to Amanda Lamont [email protected] or Sue Gordon [email protected] for login details.

AWE VIC

Come along and celebrate the spring equinox with your AWE Victorian friends at a virtual morning cuppa on Wednesday 22nd September from 8am-9am. Bring your cup of whatever you love to drink in the morning, and a sneaky danish or croissant if you dare. Send an email to Amanda Lamont for login details.

AWE WA

Come along and meet your AWE WA friends at a virtual morning cuppa on Tuesday 28th September between 8am-8.30am. Bring your morning coffee or tea, or juice, and be ready for an informal chat and catch up. Send an email to Amanda Lamont [email protected] for login details.

AWE NZ

Come along and meet your AWE NZ friends at a virtual morning cuppa on Wednesday 15th September between 9am-9.30am (NZST). Bring your morning coffee or tea, or juice, and be ready for an informal chat and catch up. Send an email to Amanda Lamont [email protected] for login details.

September AWE Conversation
AWE NZ is thrilled and honoured to have Anjum Rahman as an upcoming speaker. at the September AWE Conversation. Anjum has kindly agreed to share her leadership learning with the AWE network. This is a virtual session and it’s one not to miss – a great session to end your day if you’re in NZ, or a mid-arvo boost if you’re in Australia. Date: Thursday 16 September 4pm NZST (2pm AEST) as part of the AWE Conversation Series. Book now!

Free pandemic support
The Pandemic Pack is a deck of 30 cards designed to deal with disruption and help you find your balance while living through a global pandemic. We encourage you to download a free copy of the deck of cards for yourself and/or share this valuable toolkit with your friends and whānau. The more we can do together to look after ourselves and one another, the stronger we’ll be when we come out the other side Download your free Pandemic Pack here: www.hummingly.co/pandemicpack.

News, events and resources

Support Afghan women and girls: UN Women has been present in Afghanistan for over 10 years and has pledged to remain operational and engaged with their partners to provide life-saving services to Afghan women and girls, especially at this critical juncture for the country. Afghan women need your support now more than ever – please consider giving a gift to help UN Women stand by them and deliver. Donate now.

Women’s Health Week 2021: September 6 -10 is Women’s Health Week, a nation-wide campaign of events and online activities – all centred on improving women’s health and helping them make healthier choices. Sign up now for free articles, interviews, recipes, quizzes, podcasts and tips for daily topics including movement, periods, sexual health, mental health and sleep.

Feeling blah? Languishing captures that ‘blah’ feeling so many of us are experiencing in the pandemic-response lockdowns. It is an emotional state characterised by a sense of stagnation, lacklustre, emptiness and disconnection. ESFs recent Insight Conversation, Languishing, addresses the issue of feeling ‘blah’ with mental health and wellbeing specialists.

Rural women, fire and pandemic: The Victorian Rural Women’s Network explores the challenges that a summer of bushfires and a global pandemic have presented to rural women in their latest newsletter, Network Connect.

Anne Kantor Fellowships: The Anne Kantor Fellowship is a a unique graduate style program to provide on-the-job training to help equip and encourage new voices in Australia’s future policy and democratic debates. It includes a general and an environmental fellowship. Find out more here.

Women’s International Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (WIN DRR) Leadership Awards: The inaugural WIN DRR Leadership Awards are now open for women who are citizens/permanent residents of Asia-Pacific countries. The awards are designed to recognise women who have demonstrated high potential early in her career and those who have achieved professional success. Please note that Australian and New Zealand residents are not currently eligible. You can nominate yourself or the women who inspire you before the 17^th September. Feel free to share this opportunity around your networks.

Gender pay gap: Australia’s gender pay gap has widened to 14.2 percent, meaning women working full-time are now taking home $265.50 a week less than their male counterparts. Read more here.

Gender equity in advertising: Advertising is powerful and persuasive. It sells us messages about what is desirable, who is valuable, and how we should treat one another. shEqual is the first coordinated effort in Australia to promote gender equality and address the drivers of violence against women in the advertising setting.

50 years in policing: Check out this great recent article about Victoria Police’s Detective Senior Sergeant Joy Murphy’s 50 years on the force in The Age.

Job Opportunities

ACT
Postdoctoral Fellow – Democratic Resilience, University of Canberra

NSW
Emergency Management Officer, Wollongong City Council
Operational Policy Officer, Clerk Grade 7/8, NSW SES

QLD
Planning & Capability Officer (Disaster Management), City of Gold Coast
Project Officer – Disaster Risk Reduction, Mackay Regional Council

SA
Manager, COVID-19 Management Team – Department for Health and Wellbeing
Project Marketing Officer, Disaster Relief Australia

TAS
Principal Policy Analyst – Security and Emergency Management, Department of Education
Assistant Coordinator Strategic Emergency & Disaster Management, The Salvation Army

VIC
State Manager Emergency Services, Australian Red Cross
Team Leader – Emergency Management, Mornington Peninsula Shire
Community Resilience Network Convenor – Bushfire Resilience Program, Monash University

WA
Coordinator Ranger & Emergency Services, Shire of East Pilbara
Bushfire Risk Management Liaison Officer, Department of Fire and Emergency Services

NZ
Emergency Management Advisor (including Group Welfare Manager), Nelson City Council
Senior Sector Response Specialist, Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Other Events

Sept 13-16 Women in Defence, Enforcement & Emergency Services Leadership Summit 2021

Oct 4-5 Emergency Management Conference 2021 – ESF

Oct 5-8 AFAC21 powered by INTERSCHUTZ – AFAC

Oct 6-7 Australian Disaster Resilience Conference 2021 – AIDR

Oct 10 Australasian Women in Emergencies Day – AWE

Oct 13 2021 WA Emergency Management Conference – Shire of Dardanup

Newsletter contributions

The AWE Newsletter is published monthly and is distributed to more than 1500 AWE members across Australasia. 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 recognises the contributions of women in emergency management and disaster resilience across Australasia.

www.awenetwork.org.au
[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.