International Women's Day event celebrates Women in Wool

The third annual Women in Wool event is due to be held via Zoom on Friday, bringing across four speakers from across the sector.

This year's speakers are Elders district wool manager Stephanie Brooker-Jones, Merineo founder Claire Hausler, Animal Health Australia CEO Kathleen Plowman and wool grower and Australian Community Media national sheep and wool writer Kristen Frost.

Around 100 people are expected to tune into the lunch time event.

Event founder and organiser Bianca Heaney said since they first started the event, attendees had doubled with people from across the country and overseas registering to attend.

"It is great being able to reach wool growers who wouldn't normally be able to attend city events," she said.

"We've had lots of good comments about the line up and we've got a few speakers lined up for next year already.

"After the first event there were people who came back to me and said they didn't realise how far and wide women were working in the wool industry in terms of their different roles, from scientists through to wool-testing technicians through to brokers and buyers, you name it."

Ms Heaney said she always tries to pick women in different areas of the industry to showcase the wide range of opportunities available.

"I've been celebrating International Women's Day for probably thirty plus years... and I've had experiences sitting around a boardroom table and being the only woman at that table," she said.

"Realising how many more women in the industry there actually are in the wool industry these days, three years ago I thought 'why aren't we celebrating this, particularly at International Women's Day and recognising how far women have come in the wool industry in so many diverse roles?'

"This was an opportunity where we could actually share their stories and let other women know there are lots of roles within the wool industry you can take on if you want to."

MORE READING:

Ms Heaney said these days there were a lot more women in scientific roles within the wool industry and there had also been a lot of women founding wool-based businesses.

"They may not necessarily be sitting around a board table but they are certainly taking on the challenge with our beautiful fibre that we have in wool," she said.

"We will be posting all the presentations online again and making them available after the event as well.

"The support that we have had from the wool trade has been fantastic."

People can register to attend at the event at www.woolindustries.org/IWDWIW.htm

Start the day with all the big news in agriculture! Sign up below to receive our daily Farmonline newsletter.