Hepburn Shire will celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) with an event on Thursday 7 March at the Daylesford Town Hall commencing at 6:00 pm.
The celebration will include the induction of outstanding women in the Shire to the Heather Mutimer Honour Roll. The Honour Roll was established in 2005 to pay tribute to local women whose contributions, courage and examples have led to significant social change for women.
The theme for IWD 2024 is “Count Her In: Invest in women. Accelerate Progress.”
Professor Paula Gerber, a leading expert in International Human Rights Law, will be the special guest speaker. Professor Gerber worked as a lawyer for 25 years including five years in London and five years in California. She moved from private practice into academia in 2000, beginning her academic career at the University of Melbourne before moving to Monash University in late 2004. She specialises in the rather disparate fields of Construction Law and International Human Rights Law. She has been a positive role model for women working in the male-dominated field of construction.
She has been the catalyst for the advancement of women studying and working in the construction industry, establishing the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) in Australia in 1995 and developing Australia’s first specialist tertiary education course in construction law in 2000. In 2009, she was appointed to the Board of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.
Professor Gerber’s current focus is on children’s rights and the rights of LGBTIQA+ people.
“Our annual event to celebrate International Women’s Day is always very popular and we expect this year will be no different,” said Mayor, Cr Brian Hood. “Everyone is invited to join us at the Daylesford Town Hall from 6pm on Thursday 7 March.”
Bookings are required via www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/IWD2024
Nominations for the next round of honour roll inductees will open in August.
