2 September 2016 – Opportunity International Australia is exhibiting at the Business Chicks 9toThrive expo in Melbourne today and tomorrow.

Opportunity Chief Executive Officer, Robert Dunn, said: “We are very excited to be exhibiting at 9toThrive. This expo will showcase Australia’s leading brands and the country’s world-class speakers.

“Opportunity will unveil its new Women4Women India campaign, which asks Australian women to support the empowerment of women living in poverty by training them to be health leaders in their communities.

“There’s power in knowledge, and that’s where community health leaders come in. Once trained, health leaders train the community about simple, but life changing behaviours: using sanitary napkins, giving birth in hospitals, breastfeeding, vaccinations, rehydration salts and mosquito nets, as well as access to small loans for building toilets and clean water supply.

“Business Chicks can empower women living in poverty in India to become health leaders in their community by investing in aspiring health leaders - empowering one or more women as a community health leader (it costs $500 to train each leader) through a donation or by holding a fundraising event such as a morning tea, lunch or dinner,” he added.

Kristina Keneally, former NSW Premier and an Opportunity Council Member, urged Australian women to embrace Women4Women: “I can’t imagine a more practical way to empower women’s lives than to invest in Opportunity’s Women4Women India Campaign.

“It’s a simple concept. Women in Australia donate to empower a woman in India to become a community health leader. She then goes out and touches the lives of hundreds of families in her community.

“It’s a direct empowerment!

“Please get on board with Women4Women India! It’s a great chance for us, in Australia, to help women in India who are living in poverty.

“We’re asking for $500 from 800 Australian women. Are you one of them? I think you can be,” she exclaimed.

Robert Dunn hopes Business Chicks will lend their voice to other women like them, and ask their friends and colleagues to give as well: “Five Business Chicks donating $100 or 10 donating $50 is enough to meet the cost of training one community health leader. She then trains up to 200 families in her community.

“It’s simple to fundraise to train community health leaders. Business Chicks can create an account here and follow the prompts to start a fundraiser.

“We hope that Australia’s Business Chicks will embrace Women4Women India, enabling women living in poverty to thrive,” he added.

Read the Women4Women Media Backgrounder here.

Media contact

Marie Kelly-Davies
Media and Communications Manager
Opportunity International Australia
02 9270 3332; 0408 256 381
mkelly-davies@opportunity.org