Reflecting on the Future of Women in Western Sydney Summit 2024

21 Mar

On March 8th 2024, International Women’s Day, 300 attendees gathered at Oatlands Estate for the Future of Women in Western Sydney Summit, featuring 29 change makers and leaders of Western Sydney.

More than a celebration, speakers discussed critical issues affecting the economic participation of women and girls in Western Sydney.

Panel – Entrepreneurship as Economic Participation

Commencing with the Economic Participation Via Entrepreneurship panel led by GRACosway Associate Director Sophie Hull, panellists Debbie Burgess of Bright Print Group, Nepean Regional Security founder and Managing Director Gina Field, and Michelle May of Michelle May Buyers Agent, the panel focused on the unique hurdles women face in male-dominated industries.

Female entrepreneurs often find themselves starting out at a significant disadvantage as they typically receive a mere 0.7% of private funding while male founders receive the lion’s share of investment. Though government and independent programs aimed at supporting female entrepreneurs have tried to even the playing field, there is still much to be done.

Keynote – Entrepreneurship as Economic Participation

Wendy Daoud El-Khoury, CEO of Wedded Wonderland, delivered a powerful keynote on entrepreneurial empowerment, sharing her journey to success:

“Many individuals embark on their entrepreneurial journey without even realising they possess the mindset of an entrepreneur. The origin of this path often starts with a simple idea, and from there, the challenge becomes figuring out how to steer that concept towards business success,” she says.

“I've experienced this journey firsthand growing my business to almost 3 million followers online by harnessing the power of digital engagement. Digital literacy is so important but it remains a significant barrier to business growth especially for women. Despite our natural aptitude for communication, navigating the digital landscape and leveraging it for business growth isn’t always easy.”

“The beauty of entrepreneurship is that you learn to navigate and overcome challenges in your own way. Ultimately it’s about more than just operating a business; it's about women coming into their own by engaging economically and finding the confidence to embrace the challenges and opportunities that come with it,” concludes Wendy.

Panel - Diversity and Politics

Facilitated by Amanda Rose, the hotly anticipated Politics and Diversity panel did not disappoint in delivering key insights into how women can become a powerful force for change in politics.

Featuring NSW Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic, Independent Federal MP Dai Le, Labor NSW MP Donna Davis, GM of Policy and Government Relations, Service and Creative Skills Australia Tanya Raffoul and student activist Veronica Miller, the discussion touched on the journeys of these leaders and the unique challenges they faced in their political journeys.

Panel – Transport and Logistics

For the far-flung suburbs of western Sydney the importance of the transport and logistics sector can’t be underplayed. As one of the key industries in the region, transport and logistics is typically seen as a very male-dominated sector though thanks to rising female talent like Western Sydney Airport Major Project Interfaces GM Shiara Samarasinghe, Chief Remote Pilot - Drones, Sydney Trains Madeleine Wu, NRMA Group Financial Controller Joanne de Vlieger, and facilitator Alia Karaman of Sydney Southwest Metro, this is slowly changing.

Keynote – The Future of Transport in Western Sydney

In his address to the audience Parklife Metro CEO Paul Digby acknowledges the irony of a man giving a speech to women on International Women’s Day but says that gender equality is strictly not a women’s issue alone.

He explains, “Gender equality is not women's mission, it's a social, economic imperative for all of us. We need to be part of the conversations about gender equality, and to not do so is to be part of the problem.”

“Parklife Metro will be part of the Western City community for a long time to come, and with that comes a huge opportunity and obligation for us to move our long-term sustainable outcomes for the community, environment and economy,” says Paul.

Keynote – Women in the Community

Western Sydney Woman of the Year and Deputy Commissioner of Volunteering at St John Ambulance NSW Marian Casey’s keynote on the theme of volunteering and leadership centres resonated with many in the audience who were especially inspired by her mantra, "When someone tells me no, I take it as a challenge."

The highly commended volunteer who has been awarded for her service during the Black Saturday fires says she is someone who tries to say yes as much as possible. Having volunteered since 2010, Marian’s love of her work shines through as she keeps herself busy with a variety of tasks from running social media sessions for volunteers to taking on roles in logistics support and event planning.

Panel - Next Gen Youth Pathways

The future is bright for the next generation of changemakers with young voices like Daniya Syed who is a robotics enthusiast and mechatronics engineering student, Cally Dixon who is an intern at Western Sydney Youth, and Participation Officer at the Office for the Advocate for Children and Young People in NSW Betty Nguyen and panel facilitator Zoë Robinson, Advocate for Children and Young People.

On the importance of equal access to youth support programs, Betty Nguyen highlights that; a lot of people are making decisions in the absence of young people which is why we urgently need to incorporate them more in the decision making process. There should be support for young women to achieve their dreams by taking a more intersectional approach and providing more mentors and role models.

Keynote – ESG

In her keynote Head of Sustainability at Endeavour Energy Gina Pavlovic recalls a childhood passion for the natural world and the value of conservation and community service. Having studied environmental science at university when the field was just emerging, she has worked in local government sustainability roles for a number of years before moving into the area of corporate sustainability and ESG.

“Achieving regional sustainability requires collaboration across industries and government with a shared purpose, “ says Gina who notes the rise of senior sustainability roles have also propelled gender equality by opening up leadership opportunities to women.

“We must explore the opportunities and challenges that exist in our backyard, and pivot to drive real change in action on sustainability. Each person must think and reflect on what you can do today and tomorrow to sow the seeds for future generations. When cross-sector and cross-industry collaboration and resourcing is combined with a shared sense of purpose we are powerfully equipped to solve these pressing climate, social and community matters.”

Panel - Built Environment & ESG

Facilitated by Ethos Urban Director Yvette Carr, the Built Environment & ESG panel includes Head of Strategy and Innovation from Endeavour Energy Melissa Doueihi, Deloitte Partner Annalisa Amiradakis, Professor Olivia Mirza, Research Dean, Champion and Associate Dean of Engagement from Western Sydney University and Olivia Widjaja, winner of Young Western Sydney Woman of the Year 2023 and Space Operations Analyst at EOS Space Systems.

Closing the day, attendees heard how Western Sydney International Airport are creating opportunity growth for girls through a conversation between Amanda and Eva Atkins, followed by lunch and networking.

Moving forward

Amanda Rose says, “It’s extremely positive and humbling to see so many enthusiastic and talented speakers and participants come together to share their views and dreams for the future of women in western Sydney. The summit has been productive and very enlightening with so many actionable insights for those who were lucky enough to be there.

“We made great progress in our understanding of the most pressing issues in western Sydney, and feel renewed in our commitment to fostering a vibrant and equitable economic future for the women living there. Though there are still many barriers to gender equality, we want to celebrate the resilience, creativity, and solidarity of women who are paving the way for a brighter tomorrow. I remain grateful to our generous sponsors, our talented speakers, and our amazing audience for making the day such a great experience for us all.