Proudly presented by Essential Services, AIA Group and Creative Cubes Co.

Whether we know them IRL or admire them from afar, there is no shortage of strong women living their lives and thriving. As we celebrate International Women's Day it's time to come together to celebrate womens' achievements and call for greater gender equality.

Essential Services Australia Group & AIA Group in collaboration with Creative Cubes warmly invites you to an event that celebrates Women, with a panel of inspiring professionals who will be sharing their thoughts on this year's theme #ChooseToChallenge.

We have a panel of inspiring professional women in their chosen fields who will be sharing their thoughts on this year's theme #ChooseToChallenge and we would love for you to join us!

Meet the Panel

Shelley Ware
Indigenous Education Officer Parade College

Shelley is a proud Yankunytjatjara and Wirangu woman from Adelaide, South Australia, who currently lives in Melbourne.

For the past decade or so, Shelley has worked in the media as a radio and television presenter on both local and national AFLM and AFLW football news shows. Shelley has become one of the most respected and recognised female presenters of AFLM and AFLW football in the country. Recently announced as the Essendon Women’s Network ‘Football Woman of the Year.’ Shelley is a teacher who also works at Parade College as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Officer.

Professor Vasso Apostolopoulos
Associate Provost, Research Partnerships at Victoria University

Prof. Apostolopoulos received her PhD in 1995 from the University of Melbourne and Advanced Certificate in Protein Crystallography University of London. With her expertise in the areas of immunology, crystallography, cellular biology, translational research and development of drugs and vaccines, Vasso has received over 100 awards, published more than 400 papers and books and is an inventor on 18 patents and 90 sub-patents. Her current interests are treating chronic diseases with an immunological focus, in particular in the areas of cancer, autoimmune disorders and mental health. More recently, her lab is working on developing drugs against coronavirus and understanding the effects of the virus on the human body.

Jaynaya Winmar
Managing Director at Essential Services Australia

A proud Noongar/Balladong woman from Quairading in the wheatbelt region of Western Australia.

Jaynaya has a strong background across the Employment and Recruitment sectors through partnerships throughout the Education and Employment across regional and remote areas within Western Australia and Victoria. Having previously worked within the recruitment industry specialising in disadvantaged cohorts across wider Australia under the employment services framework Jaynaya has been able to assist in identifying the gaps in engagement deliveries and having the ability to effectively articulate throughout the partnerships on how to actively develop these.

Recently Jaynaya has started her own business and is operating on the model of being able to network effectively with key stakeholders and connecting them with each other in a respectful and beneficial way for all parties.

Dishella Fernando
Director, Transformation at Department of Justice and Community Safety, Victoria

A a proud Sri Lankan Australian having migrated to Australia from Colombo in 1988 with her family.

After attaining a Masters in Criminology from the University of Melbourne, Dishella has had an impressive 12 year career in Government spanning many diverse areas. These include counter-terrorism, emergency management, multicultural affairs and social policy. But it’s her current role as Director of Transformation in the Department of Justice and Community Safety that has been the most rewarding. The role has allowed her to apply strategic and social organisational design to areas in need of reform.

In addition, Dishella was seconded to support the Victorian Government’s response to COVID-19 as the Chief of Staff to the Emergency Management Commissioner – an experience that highlighted all too acutely how COVID-19 impacted members of our community in significant and disproportionate ways.

Find Your Feel Good Fit

- a popup experience by Secret Women's Business

Find out your actual bra size at this pop up experience brought to you by Tamara Jackson from Secret Women's Business and Brand Ambassador for Intimo, the boutique lingerie service that is changing the lives of women all over Australia and New Zealand. Their mission? To make women Feel Good, every day. Because underneath it all, women just want to feel comfortable, beautiful and confident. Their secret? World-class lingerie, fitted by a trained professional – that’s the Intimo Feel Good guarantee.

Tamara says;
"I love what I do, its empowering, I feel connected to women from all backgrounds, makes me feel like I am about change...you know, like the bra is a gateway to understanding, respect, connection, friendship/sisterhood, commonality, adventure and lots of FUN!!"

Taste First Nations Flavours

- with Food by Cooee Cafe

Enjoy Indigenous flavours cooked up by Cooee Café, the only Indigenous café on the Mornington Peninsula. Serving authentic Indigenous foods, flavours and dishes alongside mainstream Australian cuisine.

Our Partners

AIA Group Pty Ltd is a female-led organisation and our sister company. We are so proud to partner with them and work together on women's issues, diversity and inclusion, equal employment opportunities and community focused initiatives. Here's to women empowering women 💪🏽

AIA Group's CEO Natalie Vogel stopped in to the CreativeCubes.Co vlog to discuss International Women's Day and all the amazing things we've been up to in an effort to bring about change.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlxAT8U9K94

Event Details

When: March 31st 5:30 pm

Where: Creative Cubes in South Melbourne

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