24 August, 2018
Two hundred people will today stand in solidarity with the world’s poor when they attend the fourth annual Caritas Australia Women for the World luncheon at Carousel in Melbourne’s Albert Park.
Funds raised at the event will go to Caritas Australia, the international aid and development agency of the Catholic Church.
Caritas Australia is a part of one of the largest humanitarian networks in the world and last year helped 2 million people directly through its emergency and development programs.
A troika of passionate Caritas Australia supporters, Cate Boyd, Esther Owen and Ann Ryan, are the driving force behind the luncheon.
In 2014, they climbed Africa’s Mt Kilimanjaro to raise money for Caritas and saw for themselves the transformation of communities through Caritas partnerships in Tanzania.
Ms Boyd, a physiotherapist, believes that Women for the World events highlight both the potential and extraordinary resilience of women living in poverty globally
"Women are the backbones of families, workplaces and communities. Despite this, they make up the majority of the world’s poor," Ms Boyd said.
"Discrimination and lack of opportunity prevent many women from gaining an education, accessing healthcare and securing a safe livelihood for themselves and their children.We know that when we help a woman, we help her children, her family and then a whole community benefits."
During the luncheon, guests will be addressed by Marie Mondu, Caritas Australia’s Program Quality and Support Coordinator in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Marie will discuss her work assisting survivors of domestic violence, helping young people to secure an education and the health challenges facing women living in remote parts of PNG.
This year supporters also have the opportunity to run their own Women for the World fundraising event.
These events, which can be held at home, in workplaces, schools, or in the community, range from a simple morning tea, through to a movie night or a dinner party.
Caritas Australia works in countries across Africa, Asia and the Pacific and with Australia’s First Peoples to empower communities and eradicate poverty. ---
