An evening with Dr Fiona Wood...

The Rotary Club of Mt Lawley held a special International Women's Day dinner on Monday, 9 March 2020, at the Mount Lawley Golf Club. Our special guest for the evening was Dr Fiona Wood, one of Australia's most innovative and respected surgeons and researchers.

Fiona's values strongly align with those of Rotary, as she gives back to the community through her scientific research aimed at improving people's quality of life. She has been a burns surgeon and researcher for over 20 years and is Director of the Burns Service of Western Australia. Fiona's greatest contribution and enduring legacy is her work with co-inventor Marie Stoner, pioneering the innovative "spray-on skin" technique, which is now used worldwide.

In October 2002, Fiona was propelled into the media spotlight when the largest proportion of survivors from the 2002 Bali bombings arrived in Perth. Fiona led the medical team at Royal Perth Hospital and saved many lives. Fiona was named a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003. In 2004, she was awarded the Western Australia Citizen of the Year award for her contribution to medicine in the field of burns research. Fiona was then named Australian of the Year for 2005. She is an Australian Living Treasure and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science.

We also heard from Tania Cecconi on gender equality and the meaning of International Women's Day. The campaign theme for International Women's Day 2020 was #EachforEqual. An equal world is an enabled world. Individually, we are all responsible for our own thoughts and actions—all day, every day. We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender-equal world. Tania is the executive officer of CEOs for Gender Equity, which aims to grow awareness of the benefits of gender equity, its impact when addressed, and to set an example for other CEOs and business leaders who want to bring about change within their organisation.

All funds raised from this very successful evening went to the Fiona Wood Foundation.