Over 80 women gathered at House on Rose, Wee Waa on Thursday 26 October for an exchange of ideas.

‘The Exchange’ is a HealthWISE initiative, supported by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Office for Women.

The Wee Waa event included lunch and a panel discussion exploring ‘Another Chapter’. Our local panel; Ali Smith, Bernadette Melton and Georgie Hamblin described the influences on their career directions and lives to date: parents running businesses, media industry mentors, teachers who believe in you and tell you, “You can do anything you want,”… and the realisation that a fear of sharks is not a great attribute for aspiring marine biologists.

The theme was chosen because ‘Another Chapter’ is going to be a part of everyone’s life as each generation is experiencing increasing longevity.

In 2017, academics from the London Business School published The 100 Year life, exploring how we live and work in the age of longevity. Citizens born in the 1930s or 1940s more or less conform to the traditional three-stage life: education, work, retirement. Finances were structured so that savings and/or a form of pension carried you through your retirement years. In this age of longevity, more people are expected to live until they are closer to 100 than 75.

Our careers and opportunities to contribute to the communities we live in may stretch over a period of 50+ years. Parents will not be the only segment returning to the workforce during their careers – all segments of society may move between study, career and caring – at different times to individuals their own age.

The Exchange events will continue in 2024. You can register now to join our mailing list to receive information about future events.