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Canberra Today 14°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

ACT award winners striving for gender equity

IN the lead up to International Women’s Day, three Canberra women, who embody the theme “Press for Progress”, which highlights gender equity, have been awarded 2018 ACT Women’s Awards tonight (March 6) at the National Arboretum.

This year, the ACT Woman of the Year has been awarded to Ashleigh Streeter-Jones, who is the director of “Future 21 Young Australians in International Affairs”, which aspires to get more young people involved in international affairs; was part of the task force behind the official recognition of trans inclusion; and co-organised the Girls Takeover Parliament program to inspire and equip the next generation of female leaders.

Ms Streeter-Jones first started volunteering with Ardoch Youth Foundation where she assisted with educational supply programs for children. As University Coordinator for World Vision’s youth movement and then as state director, she created networks across the non-profit sector, and campaigned to produce a variety of successful outcomes, including getting child labour onto the G20 agenda in 2014. 

Described as a “champion for gender equality”, the ACT Young Woman of the Year, was awarded to Caitlin Figueiredo. She founded World Vision VGen ACT, training thousands of youth in ethical consumerism and foreign aid and is the Alannah and Madeline Foundation ambassador, where she has helped transform the lives of girls in the ACT by supporting the foundation to end violence and bullying.

As director of Lake Nite learning, Miss Figueiredo helps women develop skills, find employment, build a community and follow their passion. Miss Figueiredo is a board director of the Australia Youth Council and in June 2017, launched the National Council of Women Australia at Parliament House with the Prime Minister. She also co-founded the world’s largest political takeover, which reached 10 million people and trained Canberra women in leadership, public speaking and Indigenous rights.

The ACT Senior Woman of the Year, Cathi Moore, was awarded for her contribution to leadership positions in key community service organisations and government boards for over 30 years, including serving as the president of YWCA Canberra where she successfully campaigned for the introduction of the 30 per cent quota for young women under 30 in governance positions in the YWCA both nationally and locally.

She is the founding member of My Coaching, My Future, which provides pro-bono coaching services for women who have left violent relationships and was actively involved in the setting up and administration of a national network of women’s organisations to more effectively advocate on the challenges facing young women in Australia.

 

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