2019 Women of the West nominees

Azita is Director of Bebe’s Hair and Beauty; an Iranian refugee and self-made business woman who actively works to address homelessness and domestic violence. Azita holds senior leadership positions in three community organisations, and was a recipient of the 2018 Mayoral Commendation as The Hills' Citizen of the Year.

Katrina is Founder of The Westies, a not-for profit organisation focussed on changing the narrative of Western Sydney through art, economy and local storytelling. Katrina coordinates the Westies markets, business, website, blog and Facebook channels and also sits on the board of the Western Sydney Small Business Expo.

Frances is the Senior Property Manager & New Development Sales Manager of Sidarous Realty. Frances is recipient of a number of awards for business acumen, and has undertaken a broad range of volunteer work to contribute to the Parramatta community.

Millie Booth is a Director of both Constructive Workforce Pty Ltd and Precast Elements Pty Ltd. She has held annual fundraisers for Save the Farmers and Hope for Cambodian Children, raising over $1 million dollars in support for these events.

Amy is the volunteer Operations Manager for Mama Lana’s Community Foundation in Penrith. She regularly contributes to all aspects of the Foundation’s activities as it seeks to offer food, facilities and dignity to assistcommunity members experiencing homelessness.

Sally-Ann is a current Western Sydney University student. She is a Millennium Fellow and is involved with the United Nations Academic Impact Program to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Sally-Ann is co-designing a program to help reduce University waste and volunteers with a range of community organisations.

Dr Padmini Howpage is the Director of Psychiatry Services at Mind Connections and the Founder of the Positive Vibes Foundation. She has a special interest in community-based prevention programs.  Her work is focussed on addressing the stigma attached to mental illness.

Amanda is a social worker and has contributed extensively to the development of young people in Penrith, Richmond and the Blue Mountains. She has undertaken extensive volunteer work as an SRE teacher in primary schools, a safe youth event coordinator, a school-industry partnership mentor, a volunteer with the Red Cross, and across a range of roles with Rotary International.

Polly is the Founder of OCAGI (The Mark Grundy Oesophageal Cancer Awareness Group Inc). OCAGI is the only oesophageal cancer charity in Australia, and provides essential awareness, support and research activities targeted at reducing oesophageal cancer’s impact. Polly also sits on a number of boards, and was the Campbelltown Woman of the Year in 2014.

Jodie is the founder of PinkFinss Charity, set up to educate and provide tailored assistance to women and families dealing with cancer in the Hawkesbury. Through PinkFinss, Jodie has raised over $1.2 million in support for her community. She was the Hawkesbury Australia Day Local Volunteer of the Year in 2018.

Shardai is a Western Sydney University graduate and works in the Family Litigation and Care & Protection Unit at Legal Aid NSW She is an advocate for social justice and inclusion, and has dedicated her career to assisting those who are socially and/or economically disadvantaged. Shardai has completed training in crisis support, mental health and suicide prevention and is a volunteer Crisis Support Worker at Lifeline Australia.

Farzana is the HR Executive for Fink Group. She is also a current Western Sydney University student ambassador for the Go Global program and a member of the Student Voice Committee. She has developed a significant number of initiatives in her HR role and has been awarded several rising star awards. Farzana is a committee member of the Australian HR Institute and a consultative member for TAFE NSW.

Sara Mansour is the co-founder of the Bankstown Poetry Slam, which empowers young people from Western Sydney to express themselves and tell their own stories through poem. The Slam is regarded as the largest regular spoken-word event in Australia. Sara is also a practicing lawyer and was the Bankstown Woman of the Year in 2017.

Matilda is a current Western Sydney University student and a recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s Leadership Scholarship. She is an Aboriginal woman from the Hawkesbury region, an Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) mentor, an ambassador/member of the Ngarra National Park Aboriginality Program, and a volunteer for Anglicare Australia and Riding for the Disabled Australia. Matilda has also been a mentor and volunteer in a wide range of other capacities, including Western Sydney University’s Reading Ambassador and Pathways to Dreaming Programs.

Naomi is a current Western Sydney University student and founder of the Plastic Lid Project, an art initiative which engaged over 4,000 community members to recover over 20,000 plastic bottle tops from waterways. Naomi was also co-founder of the Sock Syndicate, a social enterprise which donated a pair of socks for each pair sold to people experiencing homelessness and made a difference to over 540 community members in Western Sydney.

Hannah is the chairperson of the Sydney Hills Business Chamber’s Young Entrepreneur Initiative 'YoHu - Young & Hungry' and a member of the Sydney Hills Business Chamber Board. She is a strong advocate for the Hills/ Western Sydney area and endeavours to empower and educate others through digital marketing knowledge. Hannah actively volunteers and contributes to a broad range of community events.