The inspirational women and girls making a difference in Ballarat, Australia

The Zonta Club of Ballarat Inc, Australia, has served the Ballarat community for over 40 years, undertaking programs to honor and support outstanding women around the world. Since 2008, about 200 Ballarat women have been nominated by their peers for significant and varied contributions to the local community.

These honorable women have played an active role in their community through various projects, such as providing breast cushions for post-operative care, helping women at risk with toiletry bags, donating to local charities and assembling birthing kits.

They also hold a wide array of professions, such as artist, healthcare worker, architect and conservationist, mentor and business owner, education worker and community service award winner. With diverse titles and roles within the community, these women of Ballarat all share the same passion of empowering the women around them. 

The club also hosted a special guest speaker, Matilda Goodbourn. At 10 years old, Matilda has already developed a powerful voice and passion for advocacy.

Inspired by a local magazine with a mission to serve those in need, Matilda quickly became passionate about doing something similar in her own community. With all of the great stories, puzzle pictures and interviews that came to Matilda’s mind, she knew starting a magazine of her own could make a difference.

Matilda successfully pitched the idea to her school and with their support, the first issue of her magazine, The Little Issue, was published in November 2018. Magazines were sold for $5 each and all proceeds were donated to a local charity. To this day, Matilda has continued to use her voice to advocate for a better world.

Matilda and the other remarkable women of Ballarat serve as a reminder that we can all use our diverse life experiences and passions to come together in empowering women and girls around the globe. 

Read more about Matilda and the great women of Ballarat in this article .