IWD Breakfast in the Hills

For the past 40 years Soroptimist International of the Hills District, a female community service group, has been working in the Hills District to raise awareness of, and provide funding for, issues relating to domestic violence, older women’s homelessness, female leadership education and environmental waste management.

Club President Jacqui McLachlan said after a year of Covid-related disruptions and cancellations, members were excited to restart their advocacy and fundraising work with their annual IWD Breakfast, aimed at igniting interest in issues affecting women in the local community.

Keynote Speaker at last week’s event held at Rydges Norwest was Lucy Brogden AM, who presented challenging facts and statistics from the ‘Sydney Women’s Fund – Portrait of Sydney Women 2021’ report by Dr Rebecca Huntley and Kate Whelan.

“Not only did Lucy provide the audience with an update on how Sydney women coped and functioned through the pandemic, but she also encouraged everyone to support people in one’s inner circle struggling with mental health issues.

She stated that “we cannot expect people to be able to ask for help – when they are themselves not coping”, said Jacqui.

Hills Mayor Peter Gangemi shared with the audience, The Hills Council’s vision and commitment to listening to, and strengthening, the vital work of the local community support organisations.

The audience included a large number of female students from Castle Hill High School and Oakhill College senior students Seronique and James who shared their views on the positive culture being created by their school to address gender bias.

Throughout the presentations, the audience members were invited to imagine their Future Perfect world, to consider the facts and opinions presented and find Small Steps that will help to #BreakTheBias.

Profits from the IWD breakfast were directed to the Sydney Women’s Fund and Hawkesbury’s Helping Hands – Flood Relief efforts. For details about the Sydney Women’s Fund visit www.sydneywomensfund.org.au.

The Soroptimists announced that in 2022 they would be involved in a women’s homelessness project in Kenthurst and a female leadership program in a local high school.

Soroptimist International of The Hills District meets monthly. To find out more visit the club’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sithehills/