Member Organisations

• Australian Local Government Women’s Association Inc
• Australian Women in Agriculture
• Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA)
• Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women
• Indigenous Rural Woman Representative
• National Rural Health Alliance
• Rural Doctors Association of Australia – Female Doctors’ Group
• Women’s Industry Network Seafood Community

Australian Local Government Women’s Association Inc

The Australian Local Government Women’s Association (ALGWA) is the peak body representing women ‘s issues in the Australian Local Government sector. ALGWA was formed in Canberra in 1951 by  local government women from all states of Australia who were attending the Commonwealth Jubilee Women’s Convention.

ALGWA is an incorporated, not for profit organisation supporting and encouraging women across Australia to participate in Local Government and community decision making. The Association has Branches in all states and the Northern Territory and membership is open to all interested in supporting women’s participation in Local Government.

The history and objectives of the Association can be found on web site www.algwa.net.au

Aims and objectives:

• To assist in furthering women’s knowledge and understanding of the function of local government.
• To protect and enhance the interests and rights of women in local government.
• To take action in relation to any subject or activity of particular interest to women affecting local governing bodies and/or local government legislation.
• To act in an advisory capacity to intending women candidates for local government elections.
• To encourage women into professional careers in local government.

Australian Women in Agriculture

Australian Women in Agriculture Ltd. (AWiA) is a national organisation for women involved or interested in all aspects of primary production, from the farm to the classroom, extension, research, marketing, decision-making and industry bodies.

AWiA was established in 1993 as a support network for women. With no “branch” structure, members meet through informal local groups, at General Meetings, the Annual Conference, through the email Forum and over the phone. The nationally representative Board of Management deals with organisational matters.

“The Buzz” quarterly newsletter features women’s stories, agricultural issues, news and AWiA business. Operational funding is currently provided from individual subscriptions and corporate memberships and sponsors.

AWiA is committed to:

• Uniting and raising the profile of women in agriculture
• Addressing rural and agricultural inequities
• · Working to ensure the survival of agriculture for future generations
• · Securing local, regional, national and international recognition.
• · Achieving the status of a political and economic force.

Core values of AWiA include:

Caring for people, for rural families and communities, and for the environment; Enhanced development to ensure the viability of future agricultural productivity;Respect for the culture, beliefs and philosophies of other people;                    Communication to enable women to share their experiences and develop strong networks; and Leadership to facilitate change in the community.

Current Partnerships:

• ·the National Rural Women’s Coalition – voting member
• ·the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF)
• Farmsafe Australia

· informal networks with the CWAA, FAAW, WINSC, Women in Dairying, Women in Cotton, Women in Horticulture, state Rural Women’s Networks

Current Projects:

“Australian Women Farmers Leading the Way” project will run in WA, SA, Victoria and Queensland, funded with a Recognising Women Farmers Grant from DAFF.

Next Generation Farmers DAFF funding will support a 2 day program “Shaping the future in a changing environment” in August

Annual Conference “Seeding the Pathways” and AGM – Canberra, 14-16 August.More details available on www.awia.org.au

Members are involved in:

• ·Submissions to relevant Government and Senate inquiries
• Annual delegation to Government and Opposition Members and Senators
• Membership of state farmer organisations, industry bodies
• Attendance at all International Conferences on Women in Agriculture(World Congresses for Rural Women)
• ·Developing projects as Awardees and Runners-up in the annual RIRDC Rural Women’s Award
• Appointments to industry statutory authorities’ boards

Country Women’s Association of Australia (CWAA)

The Country Women’s Association was first formed in New South Wales in 1922. Over the next 14 years each state and the Northern Territory formed a CWA and, in 1945, that national body was formed. Today, the CWA has approximately 40,000 members meeting in 1600 branches throughout all States and the Northern Territory. This makes it Australia’s largest women’s organisation.

The aim of the association is to improve living conditions for country women and children, especially those women in rural and remote Australia. CWA is non party political and non sectarian and is open to all women who are in sympathy with the aims of the association.

CWAA of Australia is funded entirely by levies from state member associations and interest from investments. Annual income is $20,000.

The CWA state bodies maintain and run many properties around Australia, including:

• Residential clubs in all capital cities
• Units for the aged
• Holiday homes and cottages
• Student hostels

Scholarships are awarded to students in many different fields and all ages and back grounds including, mature age women who need help.

In 1992 CWAA was awarded the R.S.L. Anzac Peace Prize in recognition of the outstanding effort by an Australian organisation which has promoted the concept of International understanding and has made a contribution to world peace in accordance with best traditions exemplified by ANZAC.

In 1995 the C.W.A of Australia, acknowledged 50 years of involvement at Federal Government level on behalf of urban, rural and remote members throughout Australia. The 29th Triennial Conference held in Adelaide in June 1997 saw the launch of The Many Hats Of Country Women, an anecdotal record of the work of The National Presidents and Members.

The Association’s opinion is sought in many arenas and a strong working relationship with Government in all States and the Northern Territory shows a healthy respect for the “Human face and grass roots perspective” which the C.W.A. of Australia has projected for 50 years.

Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women

The Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women (FAAW) is a national, independent, non-profit organisation that aims to advance women in rural and regional communities and improve their participation in decision making at all levels. It is one of the four national non-government rural women’s organisations.

FAAW was established in 1995 as an outcome of the First International Conference for Women in Agriculture held in Melbourne in 1994. Its objective was to foster the spirit of the 860 women from 40 countries who came together to attend the event, which is largest agricultural conference ever held in Australia.

FAAW works collaboratively with a large community of women across Australia who are involved or interested in rural and agricultural industry. It combines the skills of rural, regional and interested urban women to develop programs and pathways to improve their participation in decision-making at the community, regional and national levels.

Projects

FAAW consults widely and partners government and other non-government organisations in projects of benefit to rural women. Its major projects are:

·          Global Communications Space – FAAW is redeveloping its web presence to encompass a state of the art global communications space which shall provide enhanced communication options for women in rural and regional Australia.  This website will be a place to enrich, encourage and exchange.  The website shall include a library, an ideas lab, a gallery and a forum.

·         Telelearning Series –  FAAW’s snack sized learning series is all about bringing easy, interesting and affordable information to rural women.  After running workshops for rural women for a number of years, FAAW was given one message loud and clear!  And that was that education must be affordable, it must fit in with the school bus and must be quick, useful, relevant and really fun.  The telelearning series is the solution as all participants need to access is a phone.

·         Philanthropic Fund – Work is continuing on setting up an Australian Agriculture Future Foundation Fund.  FAAW is creating new philanthropy by seeking donors and benefactors who wish to ‘give back to’ and create the future of agricultural Australia.

Our network

More than 2000 women are registered with FAAW and receive copies of the newsletter and interim mail-outs regarding events and surveys which are pertinent to their agricultural and rural interests. FAAW’s objective is to be inclusive and, by not having formal membership, include all agricultural and rural constituents.

Board

The FAAW Board has a maximum of 12 and minimum of eight directors, selected through a consultative process and serving a recommended term of three years. Board members are appointed according to specific skills required by FAAW to ensure a broad and relevant representation. This includes expertise in farming, marketing of agricultural commodities, communication, business and finance, law and policy-making.

Indigenous Rural Woman Representative

Michelle Deshong joined the NRWC in October 2009.

National Rural Health Alliance

The National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) is the peak non-government body working for good health and wellbeing in rural and remote Australia. The NRHA is comprised of 28 member bodies, each of which is a national organisation in its own right.  Member Bodies represent health clinicians, researchers, educators, service providers, managers, health students, Indigenous organisations and consumers.

The NRHA works with its Member Bodies:

• • ·to identify priority needs in rural and remote health and          promote appropriate action;
  • to provide feedback on the impact of government policies in rural and remote communities;
  • to collate information and develop knowledge on key issues in rural and remote health;
  • to disseminate information to those with an interest in rural and remote health; and
  • to develop strategic alliances with other groups that have the potential to improve rural health outcomes.

Alliance Member Bodies work collaboratively and with a common purpose to present to governments, the health sector and the public at large, a united and determined voice about those issues that are important for achieving their common goal of equitable access to high quality, appropriate health services for all Australians, regardless of their geographic location.

The NRHA works on any aspect of public policy that has an impact on health outcomes in rural areas.  This includes rural and regional development, telecommunications, transport, cultural safety, illness prevention and education, as well as health and health services in the narrow sense.  Therefore, the Alliance aims to help the diverse communities of rural and remote Australia to be healthy and health-promoting places in which to live and work.

The NRHA is manager of the biennial National Rural Health Conference.  The Conference has become a key event on the calendar of people interested in improving health in rural, regional and remote Australia, whether as community representatives, policy makers, researchers or other stakeholders.

The NRHA is owner and manager of the Australian Journal of Rural Health (AJRH).  The AJRH is the official journal of the Rural Nursing and Midwifery Faculty of the Royal College of Nursing Australia (RNMF of RCNA), the National Rural Faculty of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (NRF of RACGP), the Council of Remote Area Nurses of Australia (CRANA) and Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH).

The NRHA is administrator for the Australian Government of the Rural Australia Medical Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme, known as RAMUS.  The RAMUS scheme supports 550 rural students each year to study medicine.

Rural Doctors Association of Australia – Female Doctor’s Group

The Female Doctors Group (Gender and Medicine) ensures that RDAA and the committees in which it participates are aware of the changing needs and aspirations of the rural medical workforce. This group has provided valuable input into current research on gender and medicine and generational change. Women and men are welcome to attend the group’s meetings.

Women’s Industry Network Seafood Community

The Women’s Industry Network Seafood Community is the only national organisation in Australia representing the interests of women involved or associated with the Australian seafood industry.

WINSC aims to:

• Recognise and enhance the skills of seafood women.
• Develop effective partnerships with government agencies and other industry stakeholders.
• Provide community education on all aspects of the seafood industry.

WINSC works with regional development task forces, peak fishing industry bodies, research providers, industry development boards, and associations and rural affairs units. We have developed partnerships with Commonwealth/ State/Territory government and peak industry bodies and associations and other national women’s organisations.

WINSC is proactive in working towards a healthy marine and freshwater environment on which fishing families and the `whole through chain’ rely for their livelihoods and their future. It supports government ecosystem management which will lead industries forward and make each more accountable for the effects of their activities on others.

Seafood women of WINSC are also making their presence felt with their input into government plans and policies at state and national levels. WINSC is a vital link for industry and government to work as one and move the seafood industry of Australia forward into an international producer, harvesting and producing safe, quality seafood products.

WINSC has been successful in applying to the Department of Agriculture and Forestry (DAFF) “Recognising Women Farmers” grant scheme.  WINSC received $37,500 to coordinate a one day facilitated national workshop for seafood industry women.

WINSC Professional Development Scholarship . This scholarship for $6000 is provided annually to a WINSC member to undertake a PD project.

WINSC is awarded grant under Office for Women Women’s Leadership and Development Program

WINSC was awarded $30, 950 from the Office for Women for a grant entitled Using Smart IT to Meet the Challenge of Distance for WINSC