Milestone year for great women

THE Zonta Club of Ballarat are putting more of the city’s exceptional and compassionate female leaders, trailblazers, and innovators in the spotlight in 2023.

After a hiatus, their prestigious honour roll of Ballarat’s Great Women will feature the names of more people in the coming weeks, who were born, have lived, or worked in the region.

This year’s honourees include Loud Fence movement founder Maureen Hatcher, global coordinator of the Charter for Compassion Dr Lynne Reeder, Bigger Hearts Dementia Alliance founder Anne Tudor, and Cricket Without Boundaries founder Natarsha Williams.

“We’ve only just skimmed the surface of the extraordinary women who are forging new pathways to progress not only locally but internationally,” said Val Sarah, chair of the club’s Great Women Committee.

“They are putting Ballarat firmly on the map. This year is also a milestone for us, as we celebrate 200 honourees since the program began in 2008.”

The Ballarat Times will publish profiles on each honouree in the lead-up up to a celebratory dinner and presentation at the Ballarat Golf Club on Thursday, 23 March.

This event will also act as a fundraiser for a local sleep bus initiative, and an international project supported by the Zonta Foundation aiming to help women in Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste recover from violence.

“Although Zonta also delivers opportunities for men and boys working with agencies of the United Nations, the major focus for the Zonta Foundation for Women is to build a better world for women and girls,” Ms Sarah said.

The Zonta Club of Ballarat has been active in service and advocacy locally and internationally since 1978.

The Great Women roll was born of a project with Women’s Health Grampians between 2006 and 2008, which saw the publication of the Amongst Ballarat’s Finest book, highlighting 113 locals.