Imagine if for just a day, all of the women working in agriculture and around rural communities in paid and unpaid work, decided it was ‘tools down’.

Or perhaps even just for a couple of days – they all jumped on a flight to Bali – on their own, and left everyone else to fend for themselves at home, at work, in clubs, in business, on farms, in education centres… everywhere.

What would happen?

Women in Agriculture | Thriving Women Conference

Here’s our guess: rural communities would break down completely. Because unless you’ve been living under a rock for your entire life, you’d know that women are the relentless backbone of our regional towns and all that keeps them humming.

But how often do they really get to spend time focusing on their own development and celebrating their value in the industry? For most… it’s approximately 0 hours per year. A strange equation when you think about just how monumentally important this part of our population is to a successful and functioning agricultural community.

But how often do they really get to spend time focusing on their own development and celebrating their value in the industry? For most… it’s approximately 0 hours per year. A strange equation when you think about just how monumentally important this part of our population is to a successful and functioning agricultural community.

Rural women do it all. From assisting with managing or advising agricultural businesses, working on crop or livestock science, through to sitting on committees, coaching kids and running community events – all the way through to the day-to-day labour of farm life. And even with that skerrick of free time they have each year – it’s quite often spent advocating for rural prosperity and sustainability, something that benefits all of us.

Women have a big load to carry, and it’s no wonder our neck and shoulders are always sore, because we do it bloody well too.

“I think historically we have tended to think of agriculture as hands-on farming, and that certainly is still a really important component of our Ag sector. However there are so many other ways to be connected to the industry, and the sector,” a comment from Jeanette Gellard on the ABC Country Hour, at the 2023 Thriving Women conference.

For women connected to agriculture, their skills are wide ranging, their passions are enormous, and their contributions are as diverse as they are invaluable.

Thriving Women Conference Delegates | See you at TW2024 August 12 and 13 - Hahndorf

The Thriving Women Conference was established in 2018 to show women like you the value that you bring, and to advocate that the industry recognises women’s contribution. Not only this, but it provides the opportunity to expand our collective skills and networks so we can continue to positively impact our businesses and community – and perhaps even help reignite the fire in our belly that can tend to fade after endless months of praying for rain on top of every other role we take on.

But why choose Thriving Women over the multitude of other conferences available online? Well, after talking to hundreds of participants from previous years – your peers, women just like you, here’s what we know you’ll love:

 

1. Find Your People:

Funnily enough I came because of the great line up of guest speakers, but the greatest takeaway has been the connections I have made with the other women,” said Carly Marriott after the 2023 Thriving Women Conference.

Rural living can be isolating. But magic happens when you bring a room full of like-minded women together, and nothing does this, quite like Thriving Women.

For some, it is an energy of discovery, enthusiasm, and encouragement. For others, it’s seeing your face, your challenges or your capability in other women, and building meaningful connections that hadn’t seemed possible to you before. For many women – they meet and hear from amazing peers who contribute so much to the industry and their community, but it’s not long before they realise that they too, provide the same value to their own community.

“For a long time, I didn’t really know where I should fit in the ag industry, said Toni Duka, the first conference ticket holder in 2018, and now the 2024 Conference Convenor.

 

“In 2018, when I sat in that room, I felt like I’d found my tribe. It makes me quite emotional to talk about it, because I just want more women like me to be able to have that opportunity, to really see their value and celebrate it.”

Thriving Women offers unparalleled opportunities to network, exchange ideas and forge friendships that transcend geographical boundaries. As so many previous participants will tell you, the relationships they forge at the conference are what continue to inspire and sustain you during the toughest times (but also help you to take time to celebrate during the best).

It’s also a chance to talk about the industry you love amongst other women who just “get it” and without any fear of judgement.

Thriving Women Conference Delegates | See you at TW2024 August 12 and 13 - Hahndorf

2. Practical tools for immediate impact:

Across the two days there are 15 (FIFTEEN!) Toolbox Talk Workshops. The conference is renowned for its rich program, and it keeps getting stronger every year.

From August 12-13 , these sessions cover essential topics such as financial resilience, confident leadership, business succession, personal resilience, rural health, workplace safety and primary industries and emissions. Each session is designed to equip you with actionable skills and knowledge so you have tangible takeaways to create positive momentum in your community, business, farm or organisation.

As WoTL Director Susie Green emphasises: “So often we go to a conference and go away full of great ideas, and never put them into action. One of the things we will be asking in the last session, is for people to really identify what are one or two things that they can actually take away and implement immediately.”

The conference has the perfect balance of inspiring action, celebrating value and forging long-lasting connections.

 

3. Remarkable keynote speakers:

Thriving Women Conference Delegates | See you at TW2024 August 12 and 13 - Hahndorf
Thriving Women Conference Delegates | See you at TW2024 August 12 and 13 - Hahndorf

Every year we look for women who will inspire us to take centre stage as keynote speakers. And this year ticket holders can prepare to be inspired by trailblazers and changemakers. In 2024, we could not be more excited to announce the line-up, which includes returning keynote speaker Olympia Yarger – who had one of the most impactful and talked about sessions from the 2023 conference in Wagga Wagga.

She will be alongside Wendy McCarthy OAM, a trailblazing influential business leader, advocate, author, founding member of the Women’s Electoral Lobby, and recently named as the winner of the NSW Award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership. In 2005 she was nominated by the Sydney Morning Herald as one of Australia’s Top 100 Public Intellectuals. Currently she is Chair of Circus Oz, McGrath Estate Agents, Headspace – Australia’s National Youth Mental Health Foundation and Pacific Friends of the Global Foundation. In 2010 Wendy became a Non-Executive Director to GoodStart Childcare Limited. In 2009 after 13 years of service to Plan International, she retired from her most recent role as Global Vice Chair, and she is now Patron of the Australian Reproductive Health Alliance. [*Insert gasps for breath*].

Led by energetic MC Tanya Lehmann, these phenomenal women will share their stories of challenges and successes, give you invaluable insights and inspiration, and renew your sense of purpose and direction.

4. Recognising your contribution

The Thriving Women conference isn’t just about handing you knowledge to better your business, it’s about celebrating and amplifying your contribution, ensuring you value and recognise that in yourself. Afterall – we always manage to find the value in others, but rarely give ourselves even half the credit we deserve.

It’s such a minor thing [a business card] but I always thought I didn’t need one because I ‘just work on the farm’. At that conference, my thinking was challenged. I realised there’s no reason why I shouldn’t have a business card, and I could put anything on there; finance manager, logistics manager, machinery operator, it didn’t matter. It was the permission I sought and WoTL gave me that, said Leanne Pridham of her ‘aha’ moment at a Thriving Women Conference. And let’s be honest – this could be all and any of us!

By valuing our own contributions, embracing and investing in continuous learning, we elevate not only ourselves, but also our business, community and family.

 

5. A chance to renew away from routine:

Be honest. When was the last time you did anything that helped build your own professional or personal development? When was the last time you stepped away from farm, family and community to take a breath outside of routine?

Sing it louder for the people in the back: ‘we all deserve a chance to focus on ourselves!’ (because we always make space for others to have this).

It’s actually important to take a few days off from the all-encompassing day-to-day demands of managing family, farm and community. It makes us all better people. For two days, Thriving Women lets you immerse yourself in enriching workshops and engaging conversations while enjoying the gorgeous landscapes of the Adelaide Hills.

Along the way you can (and should) indulge in nourishing meals made from local produce and let us take care of the details, allowing you to focus on absorbing knowledge and rejuvenating your spirit. It’s a chance to step away from routine and responsibility, recharge your batteries, and return with renewed clarity and purpose.

At WoTL, we’ve been working to grow and inspire women in agribusiness since 2017. The Thriving Women Conference not only enriches the lives of women connected through agriculture but also strengthens our collective impact on rural communities.

So if this hasn’t convinced you yet, take a look at our incredible program and join us at the next Thriving Women Conference. This will help you experience first-hand why it’s a key event for women connected through agriculture. It’s the place where together, we celebrate our achievements, embrace new opportunities and ensure we can continue to thrive in a dynamic and diverse industry.

Thriving Women Conference Delegates | See you at TW2024 August 12 and 13 - Hahndorf

For info and tickets – jump over to www.thrivingwomen.com.au

(*ticket sales end 15 July).

Thriving Women Conference Delegates | See you at TW2024 August 12 and 13 - Hahndorf
Thriving Women Conference Delegates | See you at TW2024 August 12 and 13 - Hahndorf
Thriving Women Conference Delegates | See you at TW2024 August 12 and 13 - Hahndorf