THEY say that from little things, big things grow – and never was that more true than for the first indigenous women’s conference to be held for the Katherine region on June 17 and 18.
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Run with a grant from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet at the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre, and in conjunction with the Victoria Daly and Roper Gulf regional councils, the event – Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives – attracted attendance from about 80 women.
Conference convenor Toni Tapp-Coutts from Victoria Daly Regional Council said the idea for the event had come to her after she attended the WOW Festival in 2014.
“I thought it would be great to host a smaller, localised version in Katherine to celebrate the stories of strong local women,” Mrs Tapp-Coutts said.
Women travelled from remote communities including Ngukurr, Kalkarinji, and Daly River, as well as Binjari, Kalano and Rockhole.
Keynote speaker Ruby Stanley-Walker gave an inspiring address at the forum an shared the ups and downs of her 30-year career in aged care, as well as a raft of achievements in academia and community spheres.
“We would love to see it continue in the small and personal format in future, so that women feel comfortable to get up and talk,” Mrs Tapp-Coutts said.
