The community services sector has long been powered by women, and Anglicare is no exception. Our dedicated and caring teams in emergency relief, housing and homelessness support, early learning, foster care, and disability are still made up mainly of women.
These roles carry significant responsibility and require complex skills, ongoing education, and sustained compassion. While the value of this work is not always fully reflected in broader systems, the contribution of women across Anglicare is deeply recognised and appreciated within our organisation.
In honour of International Women’s Day this month, we take the opportunity to celebrate what it means to be a woman working in community services by listening to the stories of our own staff. We also reaffirm our commitment to encouraging stronger professional recognition across these fields—so that a true balancing of the scales can take place.
Jasmine Woodland
Senior Manager Child, Youth, Family & Health Services
As a woman, “Balance the scales” means remembering what’s within my control and what isn’t. It means holding onto my standards and staying anchored in what truly matters: family, community, kindness, and integrity.
For working women, that balance can feel impossible at times. But maybe it’s not really about balance at all. Maybe it’s about emotional safety, about knowing when to stand firm, when to let go, and when to allow yourself to grow through discomfort.
Life rarely follows the plan we imagine. Instead of fearing the pivot, we can choose to embrace it. There’s strength in adapting, in trusting ourselves, and in finding meaning even when the path shifts beneath our feet.
For me, International Women’s Day is about empowerment, freedom, and having both the voice and visibility to be heard. It’s the belief that what men can do, women can do too, and that our shared cultural richness strengthens us all.
It’s also about ensuring our girls are educated, because when you educate one girl, you begin to educate a whole village.
As a woman who migrated to Australia as a refugee, education gave me the tools to navigate a new culture and shape my future. By taking the opportunity to complete a Bachelor of Nursing and a Master of Public Health, I balanced my own scales and now share that knowledge with the girls and women I work with and support. For me, that balance is also a celebration of multicultural strength and the power of women uplifting women.
Fatmata Kamara
House Manager, Intensive Therapeutic Care
Alana Palau
Philanthropy & Partnerships Coordinator
To me, balancing the scales is about honouring and celebrating the women who have gone before me—the ones who carried more than they ever should have had to, so there would be space for my voice to be heard alongside theirs.
It is also about uplifting the women around me, ensuring that none are left behind, and that all the girls who will follow us never need to justify their inherent dignity and worth.
For me, International Women’s Day is a chance to stop and think about how far women have come and reflect on how much work there is still to do. I feel really grateful to live in Australia, where women have opportunities, rights and protections that many women in other parts of the world are still fighting for.
It makes me appreciate the women before us, who pushed for those changes, and it reminds me not to take my freedoms for granted. It’s about celebrating strong, supportive women in our lives, while also recognising that equality is not yet a reality everywhere yet.
Kaitlynd Gosling
Coordinator Eurobodalla Homelessness Services
Alyce Hawkins
Director of Googong Early learning Centre and Out of School Hours Programs
For me, balancing the scales looks different in different parts of my life. In a highly female‑dominated industry like early childhood education and care, especially within a community‑based organisation, it can almost feel opposite to what the rest of the world sees.
In this space, we’re actually working to bring more men into the conversation and value strong male perspectives in our workforce.
Yet in other areas, like sport, church, and community life, it can feel like we’re fighting for our perspectives as women to be recognised. In my football club, we were the first female team, and we often talked about how pathways from juniors to seniors had been designed by men without women at the table. Once women were included, it reshaped their understanding of where and why girls were dropping out. That co-design journey helped the club build a full and meaningful pathway for women from junior through to senior levels—which is a real example of what happens when the scales start to balance
