Women Rising exhibition premieres at Gateway to Gannawarra Centre

Published on 29 November 2023

An exhibition featuring works created during flood recovery focus groups held earlier this year has opened at Cohuna’s Gateway to Gannawarra Visitor Centre.

The Women’s Health Loddon Mallee (WHLM) Women Rising exhibition features more than 50 decorated sticks created by women who attended Women Rising focus groups held in Loddon Shire, Gannawarra Shire, Central Goldfields Shire, Campaspe Shire and the Rural City of Mildura.  The sessions provided an opportunity for women from flood impacted communities to share their experiences as part of the recovery process following the 2022 floods.

“Council is honoured to be selected by Women’s Health Loddon Mallee to be the inaugural host site for the work developed as part of this amazing initiative, which has helped the program’s participants during their flood recovery journey,” Gannawarra Shire Council Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Rollinson said.

“The Women Rising focus groups enabled women to come together, share their experiences and rebuild their sense of community, all important steps in each person’s recovery journey.”

The exhibition showcases the Women’s Health Loddon Mallee flood recovery events held following the 2022 floods. A comprehensive Women Rising report currently under development, will share the key findings from across the region, and is set to be launched at the Gateway to Gannawarra Visitor Centre in early February 2024.

“By hearing from local women through this project, we are building greater understanding around women’s experiences, so we can more effectively advocate for the needs of women and girls in disaster planning and response efforts across our region,” Women’s Health Loddon Mallee Chief Executive Officer, Trica Currie said.

“Applying a gendered lens at each stage of disaster, from prevention and planning to response and recovery will allow for more effective emergency management. The result will be stronger and more inclusive communities in and after disasters.”

The Women Rising exhibition will be on display at the Gateway to Gannawarra Visitor Centre, located in Garden Park, Cohuna, until the end of February 2024. Admission is free.

To learn more about Women’s Health Loddon Mallee’s approach to flood recovery, visit https://whlm.org.au/women-rising/