Thank you to all in attendance at the AGM
NCWQ released our 2021 Annual Report at the recent Annual General Meeting. Thank you to all our members, supporters, partners, sponsors and contributors throughout the year.
Please download your copy of the NCWQ 2021 Annual Report below.
Download
NCWQ Annual Report
2020-2021
(pdf)
President’s Report
It is my honour, on behalf of the Management Committee, to present to you the National Council of Women of Queensland’s 2021 Annual Report.
Life in Australia over the past 12 months has continued to be greatly affected by COVID-19. Controversy surrounding lockdowns, state border closures, and the different types and availability of vaccines have dominated our national narrative. In addition, COVID-19 induced isolation, economic loss and uncertainty have impacted negatively on everyone, especially our women and children.
While COVID dictated much of the discussion, women’s safety also made it onto the national agenda following revelations from Brittney Higgins that she had been raped in Federal Parliament House. This spurred a nationwide conversation on the issue of women’s safety which culminated in a summit in early September to address all forms of gender-based violence including domestic, family and sexual violence. Like the rest of Australia, the NCWQ shares in the vision of a community free of violence against women and children.
NCWQ has also continued this year to work in the areas of advocacy and empowerment of women. In May 2021, through our collaboration with the Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia (PPFA) and QENDO (a charity for women affected by endometriosis, adenomyosis, PCOS or infertility), we welcomed the National Action Plan for Endometriosis and the Australian government’s allocation of $5m over four years to any state that chooses to match funding. The funding will be used to deliver the Periods, Pain and Endometriosis Program (PPEP) to girls (and boys) about managing severe period and pelvic pain. At time of writing, PPFA is working with the Queensland Government to roll out this important initiative.
Despite the inconvenience and uncertainty of snap or prolonged lockdowns, NCWQ was able to deliver five Empowerment events for members throughout the year with a combination of in-person and video sessions. This series of events has proven popular in creating networking and educational opportunities for our members and their guests. NCWQ’s journey in embracing new technology continued this year with our bursary program delivered via a newly created bursary application online platform. Our thanks go to our Webmaster, Kley McPherson, for the hundreds of hours he donated to NCWQ to design the system and get it up and running while also keeping our website updated. NCWQ’s adoption of technology has resulted in more participation and access for women who are currently pursuing careers and caring for their families.
It has been 13 years since NCWQ started our bursary program. This year, led by Kathy Cavanagh, NCWQ had 27 sponsors recognizing 35 women who collectively embody our shared values of leadership, community service, perseverance, and determination. We would like to extend our gratitude to the sponsors and coordinators who helped make this happen.
On October 31st, we will farewell NCWQ’s Patron, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC CVO, Governor of Queensland. We thank him for his interest in NCWQ and wish him and Mrs de Jersey well for their future endeavours. Lastly, I must thank the NCWQ members for their support and enthusiasm in pursuing a period of change and opportunities against a most challenging backdrop.
Chiou See Anderson
NCWQ President
Previous Year’s Annual Reports
Our previous Annual Reports are available here or by contacting info@ncwq.org.au.
The National Council of Women of Queensland Inc (NCWQ) is a non-party-political, non-sectarian, not-for-profit, umbrella organisation with broadly humanitarian and educational objectives. It seeks to raise the awareness of members as to their rights and responsibilities as citizens and encourages their participation in all aspects of community life.
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