I take this opportunity to acknowledge two women in Western Victoria Region who were recently inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll for Women. The first of these is Delma Clapp of Warrnambool. Delma Clapp is the founding member of Emma House Domestic Violence Services — the first women’s refuge in Warrnambool. Her voluntary work in the formation of Emma House has built this important organisation into a key service provider in the Warrnambool region, providing a safe haven for women and children who experience domestic violence.
Over 30 years Delma Clapp has done everything from playing an integral role in the formation of the board of directors, liaising with key stakeholders, staffing the refuge and developing what I am sure would be more funding applications than she can remember to holding positions such as chairperson, treasurer and secretary of the board at the refuge. Delma continues to sit on the board and provide the knowledge that only a person with her experience and passion could provide.
The second woman to be recently inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll for Women is Rosemary Malone. Since 2003 Rosemary Malone has been the CEO of Gateways Support Services, a major service provider for people with a disability in the Geelong and Barwon regions. Rosemary began her career as a speech pathologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and later became the chief speech therapist before moving to the Barwon area in the 1980s. She worked as a team leader in disability services and specialist children’s services at Gateways and then took up the role of general manager before becoming the CEO.
Rosemary has chaired the Barwon Disability Advocacy Network, and the G21 Disability Inclusion Partnership working group, served on Autism Victoria committees and served as a member of the Victorian ministerial advisory committee for the national disability insurance scheme (NDIS).
I congratulate these two remarkable women.