Doomadgee businesswoman Annie Backhaus is determined to put new skills to use learned at the National Rural Women’s Coalition Rural Women’s Muster.
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One of 14 women chosen from over 100 candidates Australia-wide, Annie participated in intensive leadership development, strengthening skills and determining strategies to lead economic growth and community resilience.
Participants shared methods, tools and leadership best practices while building friendships under leadership facilitator Meredith Turnbull from Sydney and strengthening leadership capacities and resilience.
Annie said they completed plans for an individual leadership project.
“My project is to develop an independent women’s group in Doomadgee to educate women on governance and social enterprise, provide a balanced advisory and advocacy group to local, state and federal government and stakeholders and service providers, and provide a nurturing platform for all women to get together, learn together, talk together and improve our community,” Annie said.
“The women in the Muster all have wonderful and diverse projects to help rural women in myriad ways, inspiring women and girls of all ages to look towards a positive future and I look forward to continuing the friendships.”
While in Canberra participants met and heard from a wide range of female leaders including founder of the Disability Leadership Institute Christina Ryan, leading expert in Public Sector and Institutional Reform in Developing Countries and one of Australia’s 100 inaugural Women of Influence Professor Shirley Randell and National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simpson.
At Parliament House they met Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, Assistant environment minister Melissa Price, deputy Nationals leader Senator Bridget McKenzie, members for Kennedy and Indi Bob Katter and Cathy McGowan, financial services minister Kelly O’Dwyer, Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek and briefly met Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
The National Rural Women’s Coalition is a collaborative voice for women in rural, remote and regional Australia and is the peak organisation of five women’s organisations – Australian Local Government Women’s Association, Australian Women in Agriculture, Country Women’s Association of Australia, National Rural Health Alliance and Women in the Seafood Network Community.
Annie is keen to hear from Doomadgee women and elsewhere who feel they can support and contribute to this project - contact annie@clemmentselectrical.com.au or phone: 0400 737 666.