Robin Francis, Chairman of the Board, Brisbane Women’s Club, was a wonderful guest. Robin shared her philanthropic experiences through the Brisbane Women’s Club working to improve life for women in Queensland. Robin shared, in particular, her concern for the incidence of women needing help in dire circumstances due to their lack of attention to shared financial circumstances. This could be by way of a marriage breakdown or by their partners facing some sort of unexpected health crisis. Robin encouraged those present to be confident in their financial literacy and also to be well-educated as to their rights.
Robin shared some sobering statistics published by the Australian Human Rights Commission. https://www.humanrights.gov.au/education/face-facts
Feminism is a BIG topic. It was wonderful to hear the many different perspectives of women around the room and to hear that some of the younger generation have not been aware of being compromised in the workplace because of their femininity. There was much more we could have talked about and possibly taken the conversation down many different tributaries.
4pm came upon us so quickly, we all had more we wanted to share and talk about. Thanks to Dinie’s hospitality, we all enjoyed the continued conversation over a glass of wine. Thanks to everyone for such a wonderful table of gourmet delights.
Some of the questions we used to kick start our thinking on this topic
- How has feminism improved life for rural women?
- Have we gone far enough?
- Is feminism a dirty word? Should it be?
- What can we do to improve opportunities for our daughters?
How the event ran
2:00 – Arrive and share a tea/coffee/wine and a quick chat (please bring a plate to share)
2:15 – Introductions. Call for the group’s perceptions of “what is feminism”
2:30 – Guest Speaker, Robin Francis will share a little of the history of the Brisbane Women’s club and her perceptions on feminism today, followed by questions
3:00 – Discussion and debate
4:00 – Finish formalities, group invited to enjoy refreshments
See the discussion here.