More than 50 people attended a recent CFA women’s event in Wodonga that promoted the large number of operational and non-operational opportunities for women in CFA.
CFA Assistant Chief Officer for Inclusion and Fairness Steve Smith said “We recognise people come to CFA with a breadth of existing skills which will add great value to the organisation and the community.
“To further enhance our services, we are promoting and encouraging women to view CFA as an avenue to contribute to their community and to recognise the variety of roles within CFA through which they can contribute.
“Some of these roles include operational firefighting, community engagement, brigade management and leadership roles; the opportunities are endless.”
CFA member and Chairperson for the District 24 Women’s Reference Group Marelle Whitaker said the day was a great success that received an overwhelmingly positive response from participants.
“Female CFA members came from across District 24 to hear about opportunities available to them and to hear firsthand from other women about their experiences,” Marelle said.
“Highlights from the day included listening to our guest speaker, Lieutenant Colonel Ruth Perry who gave a highly engaging and thought-provoking address as she spoke about her experiences as a female in the Australian Defence Force.”
The event featured a discussion panel made up of women from various age groups carrying out a diverse range of roles in CFA, as well as break-out sessions which gave participants the opportunity to learn more about specific areas of CFA that interested them.
“The discussion panel members spoke about their different experiences and were happy to take questions from the audience, facilitating a valuable two-way conversation with audience members,” Marelle said.
“It was wonderful for participants to see and hear from female role models carrying out diverse roles.”
Participants gave valuable feedback on the day that will help guide the future direction of the District 24 Women’s Reference Group in supporting and encouraging women in CFA.
“The D24 Women’s Reference Group is grateful to those who facilitated the day including the panel members and break-out session leaders and to the Volunteer Sustainability Team for supporting and funding the day,” Marelle said.