ON Saturday 164 members of VIEW Clubs from the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands all came to Wollongong to celebrate International Women's Day together at the Chifley Hotel.
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Many of those who attended plan to return in September when VIEW Clubs of Australia marks its 55th anniversary at a national convention being held in Wollongong.
It will bring more than 600 women into the city for the three-day event and provide a significant economic boost to the local economy. Zone councillor Yvonne White said members of 14 clubs in the region and 20 guests were present on Saturday and Wollongong had secured the 55th anniversary celebration and national conference by members from the region putting up their hand and asking.
Mrs White said highlights on Saturday included Tahlia Jackson presenting a Centenary of Anzacs tribute, Learning for Life student Taleisha talking to an audience for the first time, while Katherine Akele sang to give the lunch a youthful flavour.
Keynote speaker was NRMA deputy director Wendy Machin, who spoke about what influences women's lives, what are the opportunities for women, what are the barriers that still exist today and what are the successes that can be celebrated on International Women's Day.
"In terms of successes there are obviously more job opportunities for women," she said.
"But some of the challenges still remain, such as pay equality. Women are still earning less than men. I think we need better representation in Parliament and in business. At the political level the proportion of women is dropping."
Ms Machin said there were still many more male chief executives than female and the question was why and what could be done about it.
Part of the solution is the need for a more equal partnership between men and women at home, particularly when children come into the equation.
She said it was great to see events such as the VIEW Club lunch and the regular VIEW Club meetings.
"I think it is important to acknowledge the work that these women do," she said.
"One of their main purposes is to educate women. And they put $1 million a year into the Smith Family, which in turn supports young women ... to go on to university. It was just privilege for me to come here and talk about all this."
