On Wednesday 11 March, our Chief Operating Officer, Melonie Sheehan attended the City of Greater Geelong’s Women in Community Life Celebration 2026 at the Geelong Arts Centre in her newly appointed role on the Women in Community Life Advisory Committee.
The event, held as an extension of International Women’s Day, brought together a strong cross-section of women contributing to community life across Geelong, including City of Greater Geelong Councillors and Federal MP Libby Coker.
The keynote address from Dr Emma Fulu was particularly impactful. Having dedicated her career to advancing the rights of women and girls globally, Dr Fulu delivered a clear message: gender-based violence must be addressed at scale through deep, sustained, and properly resourced action. This evidence-based perspective strongly aligns with the systemic, whole-of-community approaches Melonie champions in her work.
The celebration also marked the beginning of an exciting new phase for Destination Accessible as disability accommodation, disability services and crisis accommodation provider. Through her role on the Advisory Committee, Melonie is well positioned to contribute valuable intelligence, sector insights, and practical opportunities to the City of Greater Geelong, particularly in advancing gender equity, community safety, and inclusive service design.
Congratulations to Melonie on this well-deserved appointment and the meaningful impact her leadership will continue to make.