GWH CEO, Kate Graham was the key note speaker at the Innovation Series breakfast on 20 September 2023 in collaboration with Federation University and the Latrobe Valley Authority with a focus on “A gender just transition.” Following her address, Kate also joined the panel with Lorisse Dart, Senior Manager Corporate Affairs, AGL Energy, Associate Professor Surbhi Sharma, Federation University Gippsland and Dan Poynton, Executive Officer, GippSport and moderated by Chris Buckingham, CEO Latrobe Valley Authority.
Kate’s address highlighted the gendered realities for women, girls and gender diverse people in the context of the Gippsland and Latrobe Valley Transition Plan. Kate highlighted the significant inequalities that women, girls and gender diverse people currently face and drew on data and stories from the GWH Annual Report Card on the state of women’s health and safety in Gippsland to highlight these inequities.
Kate also highlighted a 2019 report on Labour and regional transition in Gippsland that clearly recognised the fact that there has never been a gender lens or consideration of gendered realities on any regional planning in Gippsland and that this must change.
Kate called for immediate action from government, industry and the community to address the current state of unacceptable gendered violence and inequalities in Gippsland and provided recommendations for a range of strategies to address these as part of the Transition Plan.
Panel member Lorisse Dart from AGL expressed commitment from AGL Loy Yang to formally partner with Gippsland Women’s Health and the community in addressing gendered violence and gender inequities and called for the “band-aid to be ripped off” in order to address these shocking statistics.
Kate said “We have an opportunity now to operationalise the Gippsland and Latrobe Valley Transition Plan and other regional planning to ensure fair and equitable consideration of gender and gendered realities.
To read more about the state of women’s health and safety in Gippsland, take a look at our latest 2022-23 Report Card.
