The Peninsula Women’s Health Centre celebrated Harmony Day 2021 on March 25, focusing on inclusion and cultural diversity in the community.
Harmony Day is a celebration held every year for cultural diversity and a day of cultural respect for anyone who calls Australia home, coinciding with the United Nations International Day for Eliminating Racial Discrimination.
Peninsula Women’s Health Centre Coordinator Rhonda Richardson said it was a perfect day with 25 women from around the community who participated.
“We have been getting a lot of people from multi-cultural backgrounds using our centre, so I wanted to host a fun, culturally inclusive day and portray that we are a compassionate and safe place to visit,” Richardson said.
“The theme of this year’s Harmony Day was ‘everyone belongs’, and that is what we are trying to achieve; we want to show the community that everyone does belong and are supported, especially at the centre.
“It was a perfect day to meet new people, have fun, dance and link to local community supports.”
The centre’s Harmony Day was also partnered by national organisation IDEAS, and Northern Settlement Services, a Bateau Bay organisation that helps people with visas, counselling, and casework support.
Richardson said the day began with a presentation covering the different services and support they provided and then finished with an afternoon of fun activities.
“There was a recipe swap where everyone exchanged and shared their favourite recipes from their different cultures, and then we also had a Rainbow Chakradance session hosted by one of our group facilitators, Nadine,” she said.
“We all just danced and moved together, which was full of relaxation and meditation—it was really empowering and connecting.”
The Central Coast Community Women’s Health Centre expands over three locations, including Woy Woy, Wyoming, and Wyong, offering free and low-cost councillors, educational classes, social and therapeutic sessions, and opportunities for women to build relationships.
“Our centres are underpinned by women supporting women; it’s a safe place to come and look after yourself, get recharged, and meet like-minded people,” Richardson said.
“They can come to feel empowered and concentrate on themselves, where barriers are broken down, and they are getting support, empathy and insight straight away.
“It’s about building relationships and that connection to community, where they have an opportunity to look at support services and get the help they need.”
The Peninsula Women’s Health Centre has also partnered with Area Health and reopening a clinic for women’s health issues, offering pap smears, breast checks, and contraception to women in the community.
For more information on the women’s health centre and the services offered, visit the Peninsula Women’s Health Centre Facebook page or @cccwomenshealthcentre on Instagram.
Hayley McMahon