As a mother of two young boys shouldering work as a project administrator at a major construction company, cooking, cleaning, volunteering, friends and family, Elorita Sadecki's life can sometimes feel like walking a thin rope.
In those times, she looks to an army of formidable women hundreds of kilometres away in Nigeria — and her mother.
So when she was given a blank canvas and asked to paint an inspirational woman for an art exhibition, she didn't have to think twice.
"The women in Africa are industrious … they are hardworking, they are go-getters, they like to push boundaries," she says.
"I remember those days when my mother had nothing in her pocket and we had to go to school, she made sure she always looked for a way for us to have the best.
"She would have sold her clothes off her back … she is my hero."
Like many others, Ms Sadecki says she has had to battle gender bias in the workplace, has been overlooked for positions and has fought back perceptions that "she belongs in the kitchen", but considers her mother the reason she is the strong woman she is today.
"In Africa and the world in general, these ideas still very much exist."
Discrimination, poverty, and inequity 'normalised'
A vivid self-portrait, a collage of newspaper clippings surrounding a photographed mother and native lotus flowers bound and assembled to represent inspiring Indigenous leaders will be just some of the canvases being showcased in a new exhibition, The Women of Kath-ryne.
Thirty-six women were tasked with painting a trailblazing woman who has made an impact on their worldview in an effort to put gender parity firmly on the agenda.
The global theme for International Women's Day in 2022 is 'Changing Climates: Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow'.
Toni Tapp Coutts, the organiser of the exhibition, says far too many women still do not fully realise how disadvantaged they are — especially those living in Katherine where she says discrimination, poverty, and inequity have been "normalised".
But she wants that to change.
Men are twice as likely to be more highly paid than women, according to the latest data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) — on average, earning almost $26,000 more than women.
The data shows most boards are still dominated by men and in a separate WGEA study it was found Indigenous mums and carers are the most likely group to experience discrimination in the workplace.
She says she hopes the exhibition elevates the voices of quiet achievers and brings women together.
Striking a work-life balance
For Kate Ganley, a busy mother of two, there were many heroic women who came to mind at first, but inspiration struck when she reflected on who was the most central to change in her life.
"I was working in the NGO sector and it was something that was all-consuming … the child protection space is a 24-hour responsibility and I found I was spending more time worrying about other people's kids than I was spending with my own," she says.
"I was thinking about those women who I admire, who stand up for their rights like flexible work agreements, or not biting off more than they can chew."
Inspired by a local police officer in Katherine, who strikes a balance between work, friends and family, advocacy and a yoga studio, Ms Ganley took three years off from work to train to be a yoga instructor.
She says she could not have done it without the support of the women around her and says more work needs to be done in this space to create a positive environment for women to enter decision-making and leadership roles to ensure support filters down.
"When you think about the decisions that parliament makes, or spends tax dollars on … is it child care, is it parental leave, is it parental support programs or mental health support programs?
"These things end up having an impact on how we spend our time and our time is our most valuable asset."
Getting support to change careers
Helping women find their feet or escape when they have nowhere else to go is at the core of what Terri Aldridge, a social worker, does.
It's a big job in Katherine, where homelessness rates are 32 times the national average, services to aid women experiencing domestic violence or other hardships are limited, and Indigenous women are particularly at risk.
But working for a major organisation, she felt she was merely part of a "big system" that was not listening to Indigenous voices.
Inspired by the women represented on her canvas, she says she has decided to change careers to "help others in gaining a stronghold in this system".
Ms Aldridge picked a lotus flower — traditional Aboriginal bush food — for each Aboriginal woman who has made a difference in her life.
"They taught me how to weave … and to learn the basics through different languages. We had to use our hands and expressions and, from that, I felt a connection," she says.
"It was what inspired me to keep weaving, keep learning, and keep growing and I've used that in my social work practice.
"By weaving in stories while you're doing something that's creative and meaningful, it puts less pressure on people that you're working with to be able to share sometimes quite traumatic stories."
