Breakfast is on us this International Women’s Day (IWD) on Friday 8th March. Join us at 47 Myers Street in Bendigo from 8am for a shared breakfast, coffee, inspiring speakers, and stimulating conversation.

We are pleased to announce two speakers for our IWD Breakfast this year: Luz Restrepo and Megan Champion!

About Luz: Luz Restrepo studied Medicine in her native Colombia. Finding that she enjoyed hospital administration more, Luz moved into an administrative role and gained Diplomas in Business Administration and Marketing and an MA in Communication.

In 2010, at 45, Luz arrived in Australia seeking political asylum. With little English, no connections, and little money, she reinvented herself as a leader and entrepreneur. In 2013 Luz established SisterWorks, a charity supporting thousands of migrant women. In May 2020 Luz left SisterWorks, leaving it in a solid financial and leadership position. Luz went on to co-found Migrant Women in Business (MWiB). Over 230 women from 53 nationalities have been involved with MWiB since it was established in 2020.

Since living in Maldon, Luz has been looking for ways to encourage migrants to move to the region.In this process, she has realised that many of the town's businesses face similar challenges to thoseshe has worked on for the last ten years. So, in Nov 2023, Made by Many Minds Pty Ltd was born to support micro-business development in general, including for migrants and regional micro-business owners.

About Megan Champion:

Megan Champion is the founder and driving force behind the rapidly emerging organisation We Are Untold.

In response to the post-pandemic landscape, Megan conceived the Women of Gold project to address underrepresentation of women in art and the resulting barriers, invisibility, silence, and impact this has on society.

A dynamic creative, Megan has curated stories of local women to produce the Women of Gold short film and public art exhibition at Pennyweight Walk Outdoor Gallery.

Featuring six local artists, Women of Gold brings the untold stories of women, out of the shadows and into the light. These diverse stories illuminate the richness and complexity of women’s perspectives.

Join us as Megan explores how sharing women’s stories are the key to economic empowerment and a gender equal world.

About the IWD Theme:

The UN Women Australia’s International Women’s Day theme for 2024 is  Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate progress.

Count Her In highlights women’s economic empowerment as a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication, and inclusive economic growth.

“Increasing women’s economic empowerment is felt across entire communities. Economies grow, children and families prosper, and importantly, women have resources available to leave abusive situations. This is not just an issue for women, it impacts all of us.” -Simone Clarke, CEO, UN Women Australia

For more information about IWD 2024 in the meantime, please visit: International Women's Day - Women’s Health Loddon Mallee (whlm.org.au)