Awards Night Celebrates Women’s Achievements in Health and Social Change Causes Across NSW
Congratulations to the following well-deserved winners of the awards:
Winners of Supporting Women’s Health Awards
- Dr Bibiana Chan – Community Flower Studio, Chatswood Youth Centre
- Dr Sue Velovski – Northen Rivers, NSW, SBS Macedonian Radio
Winner of Building Women’s Resilience Award
Winner of Enhancing Women’s Empowerment Awards
- Suet Koon Lai – Australia-wide
Winner of Advancing Women’s Opportunity Award
- Zepur Mouradian – Armenian Community Welfare Centre, Chatswood, various
On Wednesday 8th March 2023 (International Women’s Day), Resilience Together Association was delighted to have hosted the NSW Women’s Contribution Awards which was attended by over 120 people. The event has received much media publicity including TVB Australia, Today Sydney, JAMs TV and live-streaming on New Impressions Media where it was watched by over 8400 online audiences and received over 20,000 thumbs ups in just one hour.
We especially thank our guests of honour and presenters of the awards: Ms Jenny Leong Member for Newtown; Mr Tim James – Member for Willoughby; Ms Tanya Taylor – the Mayor for the City of Willoughby; Ms Barbara Ward – the Deputy Mayor of Ku-ring-gai; Ms.Penny Pedersen – Councillor of Ryde; Mr. Jam Xia – Councillor for the City of Willoughby; Mr. Daniel Tebbutt – Austrade , Head of Resources, Energy, Services, Education, and Infrastructure; Mr Vincent Lim – President of Haymarket Chamber of Commerce; Ms Josephine Lam JP, OAM – Director of Australia National Education Group and President of Australia Fujian Association; Mr Simon Chan – President of Chinese Australia Forum Association; Ms Nancy Wang – President of Australian Women United Association. The Hon. Bronnie Taylor MLC – Minister of Women and Ms Kylea Tink MP of North Sydney sent keynote messages and congratulations for our winners via a recorded video shown at the Award night.
The Awards were only made possible through the unstinting support from Women NSW and our sponsors. It was a collective effort by many volunteers in our organizing committee and selection panel that gave up their time so generously.
On the Awards night, an audience of politicians, event sponsors, and awards participants’ family and friends were moved by each advocate in being instrumental to promote positive social change, wellness and healing.
Our awards’ finalists offered outreach in guidance, activities, workshops and talks, in workplace or community volunteer settings. This group of 15 women have helped guide many thousands of Australians to improve their lives when faced with difficulties with health, mental health issues, domestic violence, migration, or life and death situations.
Stories reflected how inspired work programs, talks and how newly created unique activities assist in communities across New South Wales. In the women’s space, award recipients identified pathways to assist women to develop resilience when faced with cancer, mental and physical problems, abuse, trying to find employment with only beginners level English, and migrant challenges.
NEW 2CR – Cantonese Interview of our winner Dr Bibiana and finalist – Ms Fiona Ho
News Release
- Finalists (in Chinese)
- Winners (in Chinese)
- The Awards night reporting (in Japanese)
- Featured article (in Japanes)
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Finalists of Supporting Women’s Health
Finalists of Building Women’s Resilience
Finalists of Enhancing Women’s Empowerment
Finalists Advancing Women’s Opportunity
The Finalists of Supporting Women’s Health Awards
Dr Sue Velovski
Dr Sue Velovski is a specialist general surgeon in the Northern Rivers of NSW. She provides surgical services including cancer and trauma-related surgery. Prior and during the pandemic, Dr Sue engages with Macedonian Community via both SBS Radio and the local radio station to provide timely advice about health, as well as physical and mental wellbeing.
Chaoying Guo
Chaoying Guo is a professional volleyball player turned coach who graduated from Beijing Sport University. She is working to popularise and promote Light Volleyball in the CALD community. In the past 5 years, Coach Guo has helped the mental and physical health of nearly 1,000 Chinese Australians, majority women, by inspiring and cultivating them in taking up Light Volleyball.
Maria Casanova
Maria Rosa Casanova is an art therapist who runs an Art for Wellbeing program for CALD women at Sydney Multicultural Community Services. She facilitates a safe space for women from all walks of life and of different cultural backgrounds to come together and to express themselves through art.
Dr Bibiana Chan
Dr Bibiana Chan is the founder of ‘Community Flower Studio (CFS)’, a charity with the vision to ‘Help Youth Learn Life Skills’ and Find Meaningful Employment’. It helps to remove the stigma from accessing mental health programs, especially for CALD communities. She has published researches about mental health in both English and Chinese.
The Finalists of Building Women’s Resilience Award
Ann Emmanuel
Ann Emmanuel is a senior solicitor at the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre, where she manages the Domestic and Family Violence practice (DFV) which provides free legal advice to vulnerable people. Ann works tirelessly to support people facing DFV to navigate the Australian immigration system and advocates for their needs.
Luci Ozcan
Luci Ozcan believes strongly in the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and in giving back to the community. She volunteers her time and is actively involved in fundraising initiatives to support various charities in need.
Tina Qian JP
Tina Qian JP has been active in the community to talk and discuss cancer prevention and recovery while she was on her own recovery journey from breast cancer. Her mission is to make women, especially Chinese women, aware of preventing and fighting Breast Cancer.
Penny Christie
Penny Christie is a nationally recognised clinical psychologist who seeks to advance the mental health and well-being of women across NSW. She has practised as a professional psychologist over the last 17 years and during this time she has worked with many women in areas relating to general areas of mental health but she has also done much work in the area of fertility, sexuality, and other lifespan issues.
The Finalists of Enhancing Women’s Empowerment
Suet Koon Lai
Suet Koon Lai is a sought after Executive Coach of CALD leaders across Australia. She is regularly invited to speak on cultural diversity at various organisations including Oracle, IAG, NAB, PwC, KPMG for her unique perspectives delivered through her masterful storytelling skills that always leave the audience inspired.
Suna Flynn
Suna Flynn is the Director and Conductor of ‘Showcase in Paradise/Musicano Fusion Ensemble’ which specialises in music education, entertainment and event management and believes in “Women empowering women”.
Kimiyo Aizawa
Kimiyo Aizawa is the founder of ‘Women Can Fly Co’ that provide Japanese immigrants and students in Australia with career opportunity. Through their media, education and events, they share cultural knowledge and personal development skills which enables new arrivals to engage with the Australia in an empowering and welcoming way.
Valerie
Valerie (surname withheld) has more than 20 years as a Human Resource Manager and after retirement, she has volunteered for Sydney Multicultural Community Services (SMCS) since 2017. She has helped female community members with mental health issues in a compassionate, respectful and empathetic way.
The Finalists of Advancing Women’s Opportunity
Vivien Feng
Vivien Feng is the founder of the VIVIEN ROSE premium lifestyle brand, and is an active sponsor of community and commercial events to raise funds for worthy projects, such as the Charity Fund-raising Event “Her Shoes”, helping Australian women who are victims of domestic abuse.
Zepur Mouradian
Zepur volunteers on the board of the Armenian Community Welfare Centre which provides young women’s cultural awareness groups and elderly social support programs. Zepur has helped hundreds of new migrants, women and refugees in the last 10 years through improving their job search prospects, providing training and mentorship. Zepur demonstrates to be a strong, independent, caring woman who has consistently advanced women’s opportunity.
Fiona Ho
Fiona Ho is the co-founder of Basalt Studio, an interior design and architectural firm specialising in the retail and hospitality sector. She has made it her personal mission to mentor women in the company, providing opportunities for them to ascend the ranks as leaders.