Close to 90 female members from District 15 came together to celebrate at a special International Women's Day Recognition and Networking Event.
There are more female CFA volunteers than ever before according to the latest membership figures for District 15.
A steady increase in female membership over the past few years now sees a record 659 female volunteers – over 25 per cent of our CFA volunteer numbers across District 15.
Speaking at CFA District 15 International Women’s Day Networking and Recognition Event held at the Wendouree Fire Station, CFA West Region Assistant Chief Officer Peter O’Keefe said that the latest figures were very encouraging.
About 105 District 15 members attended the event with support from senior volunteers and Eureka Group Brigade members.
The event was an initiative of the Volunteersim Coordinator with District 15 catchment teams and supported by District 15 staff and HQ brigade members.
The night included a BBQ dinner, a mini emergency equipment display, female fit PPC fit out, CFA information display and specialised emergency vehicles such as the road rescue unit, ladder platform, Field Operation Unit, LPG flareoff unit from Eureka Group.
“It’s great to see the boost in female volunteer numbers, but we are always looking to recruit more female volunteer and career firefighters,” he said. “We haven’t got the right gender balance and it’s something we’re really looking at.
“We want CFA to reflect the diversity of the community and women are an important part of that. Diversity within our ranks brings a much richer culture. Having a diverse membership is one of CFA’s key strengths, but we can do even better.
“The other real pleasure is working alongside such a diverse group of people. Our guest speaker this evening, Carolyn Barrie is not only a very experienced and long-serving volunteer at Elaine Fire Brigade but also the Chief Executive Officer at Uniting Care.”
Peter said that International Women's Day was about recognising the achievements of women but also about looking to the future and challenging the status quo.
Author: Sherene Mounier - District Volunteerism Coordinator