On Friday, the 20th of August, 2010, I had the pleasure of singing and speaking at The Quigley Cooperative Women's Initiative Forum.  Held in Toronto, New South Wales, the forum was designed to empower women in the Lake Macquarie area of Australia.  When I was invited to speak and given the honour to sing the opening song at the forum, I remember being taken aback by the committee's song choice: I AM WOMAN. Many of you will remember the original entrance of this song on to the world stage in the early 1970's with Helen Reddy's gorgeous voice singing " I am woman, hear me roar!" (I do...though I was very, very young!).  

The forum's host was none other than Dr. Sally Cockburn, otherwise known as 'Dr. Feelgood'.  Sally and I had both done stints on Good Morning Australia with Bert Newton and it was very funny to hear her tell the audience that we had both "done Bert"!  Her Excellency Governor Professor Marie Bashir officially opened the forum with a speech that inspired and affirmed everyone - even the guys in attendance (Yes, there were a few!).  Among them, was Lake Macquarie's Mayor Greg Piper and solicitor Peter Kelso, owner of Kelso's - The Law Firm, who gave a moving address in the second half of the program (which I sadly missed!). I was even able to reconnect with a friend, a beautiful, young lawyer friend of mine, Tendayi, who now works for Peter's firm - a real bonus!

Motivational speaker and superwoman Shivani Gupta had us all wanting to don our Wonderwoman costumes with her upbeat and uplifting presentation on Personal Leadership.  She had given birth only five weeks prior to the forum and it was wonderful to meet her, her mother Bromilla and newborn son.  Add to this mix her Bollywood dance lesson at the end of her talk (Mayor Piper was just terrific!) and you have the picture of one fabulous presentation, enjoyed by all! 

Aboriginal author, mentor and community worker, Donna Meehan had us all in tears as she shared the emotional trauma of losing her husband a year ago and the challenges of continuing her journey without him through the valley of grief.  Donna is a Gamilaroi Woman and has worked in the local Aboriginal communities for over 25 years.  Hearing about how she has given her life to the service of building the esteem of other Aboriginal women was amazing and I know I have made a very special friend.

I was raised in the ghettos of Brooklyn, New York, on a musical diet that consisted of Motown, James Brown, Wilson Pickett and Mahalia and Michael Jackson - to name a few; there weren't a lot of 'White' songs like that of Helen Reddy's pop anthem being played in my neighbourhood. But, there was a passion in Reddy's lyrics and delivery of the song that penetrated the color barrier inviting us all to come along on her liberating ride of self-realisation.  Those lyrics offered a vital message that young women like me, in neighbourhoods like mine, needed to hear: we, as women, are a very special part of the human race.  We needed a 'voice' to urge us to stand up to be the unique and wonderful creations God had designed us to be - Women- women who are able to face, by His grace, any trial or challenge life can possibly dish out to them. 

In a loud voice we all sang:

 "I am woman, hear me roar in numbers too big to ignore

And I know too much to go back an' pretend

'Cause I've heard it all before and I've been down there on the floor

No one's ever gonna keep me down again... Oh, oh , oh...

Yes, I am wise, but it's wisdom born of pain.

Yes, I've paid the price, but look how much I've gained.

If I have to, I can do anything!

I am strong! (Strong!)

I am invincible!  (Invincible!)

I am woman!"*

Those lyrics are timeless.  They moved us in the seventies and they are moving us still.  They have even made a recent reappearance on the music scene as part of Sex in the City 2's soundtrack.  As I belted them out last Friday morning to those fabulous females, I knew that the weight of their meaning was not lost in that oestrogen-packed room.  Every woman there felt the timeless, passionate 'war cry' against complacency and low self-esteem as much as I did... and it was a buzz!  

Sadly, due to prior commitments, I could only stay for the morning session.  There were so many other wonderful speakers and exhibitors who contributed to the success of The Quigley Cooperative Women's Initiative Forum.  I am so pleased to have been invited to be a part of it.  I left the forum feeling nurtured and blessed by amazing women (and men!) who truly make this world a much nicer place to live in.  More importantly, I left a lot happier about being me! 

While I might not have thought to choose I Am Woman as the forum's opening song, I am thrilled that the lovely Coral Allen (Chairperson, Quigley Cooperative Ltd.) and all of the wonderful ladies on The Quigley Women's Initiative Committee did!  Every woman needs a reminder, every now and then, of just how special we are as a species and as individuals.  Girlfriends!  Guess what?!  I AM WOMAN!  So are you!  Let's all be the women, wives, lovers, mothers, business owners, employees and friends we can all be - awesome ones!  There is no other woman like you!  We are women - unique, spiritual, bold, intelligent and beautiful!  Let our world, our communities and our families, hear us lovingly and in all humility...ROAR!!!

*I AM WOMAN was written by Helen Reddy and Ray Burton