Annual Rural Women’s Gathering Coming Up

Tickets are now on sale for the annual Rural Women’s Gathering (The Gathering) to be held at Harden Murrumburrah on Saturday, October 19.

The NSW Government provides $30,000 for this event that brings regional women together annually.

Women in regional and rural parts of the State experience unique challenges living in a remote location.

The government has committed to empowering women and girls across regional, rural and remote NSW, including helping them build new connections and learn new skills to ensure they can reach their full potential and thrive.

The Gathering is a key event on the NSW Rural Women’s Network calendar for women from regional, rural and remote areas of NSW to come together to celebrate, connect, network and learn.

This year’s theme is “Sowing the Seeds of Success - Creating Your Own Work, Life Balance” and will see women in hearing from entrepreneurial women and experts; participating in cultural experiences, arts and crafts, and workshops; meeting local business vendors; and sampling local catering.

Keynote speakers for the event include:

Jana Pittman, former Australian Olympian and two-time athletics world champion;

Ruby Riethmuller, founder of Womn-Kind and AgriFutures Rural Women's Award 2024 NSW/ACT Finalist; and

Kimberley Furness, founder of OAK Magazine and AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award 2022 Victoria winner.

The twin towns of Harden and Murrumburrah in the Hilltops region, located 30 minutes from Young and 90 minutes from Canberra, are proud to welcome attendees and showcase their rich history.

Tickets for The Gathering are on sale for $65.

Attendees staying overnight in Harden Murrumburrah can register for additional events when purchasing their ticket for The Gathering.

Register at www.nsw.gov.au/women-nsw/rural-womens-network/rural-womens-gathering

Ruby Riethmuller said as someone who grew up on a farm in the Riverina, she knew first-hand how difficult access services and opportunities could be for women in the country.

“When it comes to mental health, over 80 per cent of registered psychologists in Australia operate exclusively in metropolitan cities, which is why Womn-Kind is on a mission to ensure that young people living in rural, regional and remote locations have equal opportunity to access quality, timely and largely-preventative support,” Ms Riethmuller said.

“I’m looking forward to talking about mental health and wellbeing in the modern world.

“I’ll be sharing practical tools to optimise wellbeing, the current context of youth mental health in regional Australia and the ways that communities can support the young people in their lives.”

Minister for Regional NSW and Agriculture, Tara Moriarty said she was thrilled for the towns of Harden Murrumburrah to be hosting such an exciting event.

“The committee have done an incredible job of putting a great program of festivities together and I really encourage people to get out there and visit the stunning Hilltops region,” Ms Moriarty said.

“Women in our regional communities are doing extraordinary things and the Rural Women’s Gathering provides a great opportunity to share their experiences, and in turn help other women to better support their communities.”

Minister for Women, Jodie Harrison said the Rural Women’s Gathering brought women together to share experiences, learn and support one another each year.

“It is an important event to help regional women feel connected through friendship, mentorship and professional resources and services,” Ms Harrison said.

“Our regional communities have seen more than their fair share of challenges recently, but they have never lost their spirit.

“Regional women continue to show resilience, strength and a sense of pride in where they come from.

“I am excited to meet amazing women froma cross the regions at this year’s event and hear their stories and vision for the future.Jana Pittman said she was incredibly excited to be speaking at The Gathering.

“The theme, “Sowing the seeds of success - creating your own work, life balance” is something I’ve had a bit of experience in,” Ms Pittman said.

“As a mother of six, juggling working at the hospital, time is very precious, so it’s about time management and ensuring you have good foundations in place to set you up for success.

“Regional women are some of the strongest people I know.

“Their ability to overcome adversity is something that I can definitely relate to.

“I’ve had to overcome many hurdles in my life, be that sporting injuries, the challenges that go along with having children and maintaining a healthy wellbeing.

“I can’t wait to share my experiences with the attendees and show them the m ore often you put yourself out there and things don’t go to plan - and you realise you survive it - the stronger you become.”

Kimberley Furness said supporting rural, regional and remote women was important to her because those women often faced unique challenges, including limited access to services, economic opportunities, and social support.

“By advocating for and supporting these women, we can help bridge the gap between urban and rural areas, ensuring that all women have equal opportunities to succeed and thrive,” Ms Furness said.

“I will be speaking about the power of storytelling and its role in connecting and empowering women in rural, regional and remote areas.

“I will share insights from my journey with OAK, highlighting stories of inspiring women who have overcome challenges and made significant impacts in their communities.

“Attendees will gain valuable perspectives on the importance of representation, visibility and community support.”

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