International Women’s Day Breakfast – 2016

The Zonta Club of Rockhampton hosted another successful IWD Breakfast again this year on Wednesday March 9th, at the Frenchville Sports Club.

The celebrating of International Women’s Day each year is a key event to mark for all Zontians, for as well as being a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, the day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity, a key ongoing focus for all Zontians. We were pleased to again present the awards of The Zonta Capricornia Living Treasure Award 2016, won by Leanne Smith from Yeppoon, a woman who has had a significant impact on improving the cultural life of the Capricorn Coast over many years and The Young Women in Public Affairs Award 2016, won by Georgia McDonald, an accomplished student from Yeppoon State High School.

This year we had a focus on youth and were pleased to welcome students and teachers from eight secondary schools from Rockhampton and Yeppoon. As well as attending the Breakfast, the students, teachers and some Zonians, remained for a workshop about Z Clubs, immediately following the Breakfast. Leanne Shepherd, Chairperson of the Zonta Club of Mackay Z Club Committee and Claire Kelly, a Z Club Ambassador from Mackay, spoke at the Breakfast and also facilitated the workshop. We are pleased that a number of schools have expressed interest in finding out more about Z Clubs, so we are hopeful of again being able to have a Z Club presence in our area. Some of our longer term members will remember that the Zonta Club of Rockhampton first sponsored a Z Club at North Rockhampton State High School in 1985 which was the first Z Club to be chartered in Zonta District 16, of which our club was then a part.

Another highlight of the Breakfast was another outing for our ‘Zollies’ the Zonta orange ladies. Some of our suffragettes made another appearance, representing the past, but were also joined by others representing the present and future – celebrating IWD, Zonta service, advocacy and membership and Z Clubs.