Women's Health Luncheon 2025 - Improving Health and Wellbeing for Rural Women

Come and celebrate Women’s Health Week with us at our annual Women's Health Luncheon!

This year our theme is Improving Health and Wellbeing for Rural Women. We'll be discussing collaboration, innovation and partnership, and how we can work together to increase health, wellbeing and equity for rural and remote Queensland women.

Keynote Speaker: Pip Courtney

Pip Courtney is the current host and reporter for the ABC series Landline. She has won international and national awards for her work and is committed to telling rural Australia’s stories.

Pip has worked for the ABC for 31 years as a radio and television news and current affairs reporter across Australia. She joined Landline as a reporter 23 years ago, and has been host since 2012.

At school Pip tossed up between two careers - wool classing and journalism. With assorted aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins on the land her interest in agriculture led her to study ag science, but when it came to choosing a career journalism won out. In 1993 she combined her two interests when she joined Landline.

Pip has won numerous awards in business. Most notably, Queensland journalist of the year with Sally Sara in 2007, and the international Star Prize for Agricultural Journalism in 2011. Pip was inducted into Queensland’s Rural Journalism Hall of Fame in 2018 and most recently won the national Star Prize for Rural Broadcasting.

Our panelists

Belinda Lewis – Queensland Health

Belinda currently works in the Mental Health, Alcohol and Other Drugs branch of Queensland Health. Her public sector career spans over 25 years, across human services and economic portfolios.

As a strategy and reform specialist, Belinda champions policy outcomes for vulnerable Queenslanders, focusing on service improvement.

Belinda led delivery of the Women and Girls’ Health Strategy 2032. Belinda previously led the Palliative and End of Life Care Strategy and partnered with the Commonwealth on sector engagement for the COVID-19 public health response for the aged care community.

Belinda advocates for lived experience, clear communication, and deep engagement. Her passion lies in addressing women’s structural disadvantage.

Emma Clarke – Queensland Rural, Regional and Remote Women's Network President

"My heart is in regional Queensland and with rural, regional and remote communities. My professional and personal focus is on advocating for these communities – acknowledging the impact they’re able to make on the state and championing for community leaders to have access to the resources they need to continue making the impact they do".

Having studied and grown up in Brisbane, Emma relocated to Central Queensland for a journalism cadetship when she was 20. Emma came to appreciate the impact these communities, and especially the women who make them, have on the state as a whole, including economies, workforces and industries.

Emma focused on the urban-rural divide when studying for a Master of Politics and Public Policy by distance while living and working in Rockhampton. She came to understand the urban-rural divide exists in Queensland beyond the telecommunications infrastructure its most commonly known as and extends to resources that impact all levels of Queensland communities. Having returned to Brisbane to finish her studies, her experience in regional Queensland, the urban rural divide and the impact these communities made on her professionally and personally shaped her career. Emma spent two years working for a statutory authority under the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and now as the media manager for the state chamber of commerce. In both these roles, she has travelled the state extensively from storytelling, disaster recovery, reporting and advocacy perspective. Emma left Central Queensland, but regional Queensland never left her – and she returns every chance she gets.

Emma wants to be able to support rural, regional and remote Queensland communities, especially the women behind them, to make an even bigger impact on the state.

Gita Pirbadian – 1800 4 WOMEN Program Lead

Gita Pirbadian is a dedicated leader with a strong commitment to equity, collaboration, and meaningful community impact. As Program Lead for the 1800 4 WOMEN, she leads programs that strengthen mental health and advance advocacy, working closely with communities and teams to promote wellbeing, reduce barriers, and raise awareness. Known for her approachable and inclusive leadership style, Gita values teamwork and ensures that both individual and collective achievements are recognised. Guided by clarity, purpose, and compassion, she is committed to empowering her colleagues and the communities she serves.

Emma Iwinska – CEO at Women's Health & Equality Queensland

Emma is the CEO of Women’s Health and Equality Queensland, an organisation improving women’s health, promoting gender equity and working across communities to end domestic, family and sexual violence. Emma holds formal qualifications in health, leadership and higher education and embraces a philosophy of lifelong learning.

Emma’s work focuses on improving health equity and creating better healthcare systems, so that everyone can access health and wellbeing care that meets their needs. Emma leads change through connection and collaboration, and is passionate about creating a world where all women are equitably resourced, healthy, safe and thriving.

MC: Kirsten MacGregor – Marketing Communications Executive

Kirsten MacGregor is a marketing communications executive with more than 30 years’ experience in journalism, broadcasting, corporate affairs, integrated marketing, and industry, stakeholder and community engagement.

She has held senior positions across media, government, justice, health, medical research and tertiary sectors. Her experience ranges from working across Australia and the UK as an ABC and BBC as a journalist, newsreader, and executive producer; working as a university CMO; and leading Queensland Health’s strategic communications, marketing, and digital teams through the COVID peak. She holds a Master of Business and a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science).  

Music by Kristal West

Kristal West is a proud Piadram, Manbarra and Palawa woman with a passion for culture and identity.

She is granddaughter to the legendary First Nations land rights activist, Dr. Eddie Mabo, who campaigned for ten years to eventually have the legal doctrine of terra nullius overturned.

Her grandmother, Dr. Bonita Mabo AO, was a staunch black rights activist, recognized for her ‘distinguished service to the Indigenous community and to human rights as an advocate for the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islander peoples’. Kristal is heavily influenced by her grandparents and strives to capture the stories of her bloodlines through music.

Our panelists will cover:

• The challenges women face in rural communities and how this impacts their wellbeing.

• Fostering innovation and creating healthcare that meets the needs of women

• Harnessing community strengths and building connections to improve wellbeing

• Using the evidence base to drive better health outcomes

• Philanthropy as an active partner with service providers.

Our fabulous MC Kirsten MacGregor (former press journalist) will walk us through the journey of rural health and wellbeing for women, and be joined by our expert panel:

• Belinda Lewis

• Carolyn M Vincent

• Gita Pirbadian

Exciting keynote to be announced...

Music from proud Piadram, Manbarra and Palawa woman Kristal West.

Enjoy thought-provoking conversation along with food, drinks and music. All proceeds from the event will go towards improving health outcomes for Queensland women.

Arrive at 11.30am for a pre-lunch reception and mingle, with the event starting at 12pm.

Women's Health and Equality Queensland (WHEQ) work with many amazing partners and associations. WHEQ is a proud member of Philanthropy Australia.