Status of Women Committee Conversation Topic - Gosford City ...

Status of Women Committee
Conversation Topic
"Connecting Women in Gosford"
Council Chambers 16 August 2007
Meeting Opened at 9.39pm by Audrey McDonald, Status of Women
Committee member.
Attendees: Sue Verhoek, Gosford City Council
Alison Amos, Gosford City Council
Audrey McDonald, Status of Women's Committee
Jillian Ryder, Status of Women's Committee
Jodie Gregory, Gosford Family Support Services
Tamika Dwight, Gosford Family Support Services
Cheryl Travers, Public Health Unit, NSCCAHS
Thelma Palmer, Gosford Bahai Community
Elizabeth Lazzaroni, Somersby CWA
Judy Betteridge, Somersby CWA & VP, Vietnam Vets Ladies Aux
Sandra Wingrave, Multicultural Social Support Services
Debbie Smith, The Cancer Council
Jenny Kilp, WOW Girls
Yvonne Lamont, WOW Girls
Dixie Brown, Soroptimist International
1. Audrey acknowledged the Aboriginal People and their land.
2. Audrey then outlined the purpose of the meeting and gave the
attendees some background of the Status of Women Committee.
* To hear of Women's issues on the Coast; and
* to enable women and groups to get together.
It has been running for about 18 months and has 3 Gosford City Council
Councillors on the Committee (Terri Latella, Chris Holstein and Vicki Scott)
and Jillian Ryder, herself and provision for an Aboriginal Women. The
Committee was established to initially work around the International Women's
Day but has extended to the Status of Women's Committee.
It was decided to go around the circle and introduce one another and the
issues that were important to the women and their organisations.
Jillian Ryder - Multi-Arts Confederation
Status of Women Committee - Minutes - Council Chambers 16 August 2007

This group organised International Womens Day in 2006 and 2007 and for
next year is organising the Peninsula Theatre Exhibition for International
Women's Day on 9 March 2008.
Jodie Gregory - Gosford Family Support Services
Jodie is a volunteer for families in crisis support. The group provides services
such as advocacy, self esteem groups, legal aid and counselling for families.
Issue:
Domestic Violence (cannot obtain emergency housing)
Tamika Dwight - Gosford Family Support Services
Tamika is a volunteer for families in crisis support. The group also has a
Cottage for those in domestic violence circumstances and young mums
groups. Their service is about empowering people including men.
Issue:
Domestic violence - accommodation and housing
Resourcing shortage
Cheryl Travers - Public Health Unit
This group supports the community in Heart Healthy Open Design - they
would like to work in with Council to make more walkable and pushbike
friendly paths. They also help with diseases such as cardio vascular disease
by making heart healthy exercising.
Cheryl is also involved with 'Safe Beds for Pets' - this service provides support
for pets that are involved with domestic violence. The group is in the process
of speaking with the RSPCA to provide temporary housing to pets.
Issues:
Funding
Isolation
Infrastructure
Thelma Palmer - Gosford Bahai Community
This group is the only religion that has "equality for women" provision in its
policy. They have a special service for International Women's Day each year.
Issue:
Isolation
Status of Women Committee - Minutes - Council Chambers 16 August 2007

Yvonne Lamont - WOW Girls
This service provides support and endeavours to present a healthy lifestyle
with activities especially for women. Activities include surfing, surf school,
kayaking, drumming and singing. Fun activities. They also organised WOW
Day "Misgeneration". The WOW message is to 'Nurture Yourself'.
Jenny Kilp - WOW Girls
Jenny reiterated/emphasized Yvonne's comments. It was indicated that they
have a website, forum - Women Connecting and solutions. Exciting that this
meeting is happening and to know what others are doing. Emphasize positive
not negative.
Issue:
Not looking at problems but solutions.
Dixie Brown - Soroptimist International
This service promotes women in management and professions, promoting
equality and peace. They provide practical help. They have been involved in
a number of projects including:
Woy Woy Women's Refuge - collecting items for Domestic Violence
Container Aid
Mental Health toiletry packs
Rural Women's pampering packs
Smith Family Reading Packs.
Debbie Smith - Cancer Council
This service aids in the defeating of cancer cells in everyone. They are also
involved in Young Women's groups (under 50's) to support them with self
esteem. Support for Women's Breast Cancer (they organised the Field of
Women held on 11 August). Idea of a project "Women feeling good about
themselves".
Issues:
Carers network - needs support
Women's Health
Liz Lazzaroni & Judy Betteridge - CWA Somersby
Status of Women Committee - Minutes - Council Chambers 16 August 2007

This organisation helps not only country women but city women as well.
Historically they provide support for baby health centres, cooking and
handycrafts. They have 11,000 members in NSW and are a world wide body.
They have 13 branches on the Central Coast mostly in City and the suburbs
are having now 2 Rural Groups. The CWA sponsor yearly and holds a
Creative Day/Event. The aim is to bring country and city women together.
This organisation supports:
Flying Doctor
Medical Research Groups
Local Schools
Sandra Wingrove - Multicultural Social Support Services
This organisation provides through its volunteers support for Non-English
speaking women, frail aged, carers, younger aged with disability people.
They provide support in ways of home visits, shopping and outings. They
have an office in Gosford CBD. Sandra distributed brochures on their
activities.
Issues:
Note:
Social Isolation
Role of Volunteers
Difficulty getting Insurance coverage for food stalls
A solution was possible through Council.
Sue Verhoek - Gosford City Council
Issue:
Domestic Violence
Still need to influence men as there is a lack of education for men regarding
domestic violence or what is out there is not getting through. Where do men
go to get educated?
Audrey McDonald - Status of Women Committee
Referred to the SOW Committees forum last October regarding United
Nations Policies and Programs for Women - linking the International with the
local ie slogan "Think globally act locally' as it applies to womens endeavours
on the Central Coast.
Status of Women Committee - Minutes - Council Chambers 16 August 2007

The groups recommendations were:
Bringing Women/Groups Together
1. To make a Service Directory of women's services on the Central
Coast. It was suggested that this directory be placed in the phone book,
radio, TV. Council to develop a page on their Website (to be updated by the
groups themselves) of the Service Directory. Have the directory placed in
visible areas such as doctor's offices, gynaecologist's offices and Medical
Centres.
International Women's Day
2. Organise a meeting between the Services and the Status of Women
Committee to bring services together for the International Women's Day.
More planning time to be allocated. Co-Ordinate events. It was also
suggested that a Calendar of Events be brought out by the Committee.
3. Further Action
The group also decided that the SOW proposal that a Forum be organised
should proceed. The theme suggested was 'The Power of Love' which covers
a range of issues - love of people, children, environment, people community
etc.
It was decided to advertise it as negative but as a positive approach eg
Mental Health/domestic violence - the possible solutions rather than the
problems. The group decided that late October for the Forum would be ideal
as it could be organised along with 'Breast Cancer Awareness Month' and '16
Days of Domestic Violence' coastal wide.
The representatives were thanked for their attendance and all looked forward
with enthusiasm to further such gatherings.
Meeting Closed: 11.45am
Next Status of Women Committee Meeting will be held on 27 August 2007.
Special Note was made to contact Annette Evans at Wyong Council in
order to assist in the best co-ordinator of International Women's Day as
the whole of Central Coast was involved.
Status of Women Committee - Minutes - Council Chambers 16 August 2007