Future Females Gold Coast is proud to support Dancing CEO Midja Fisher on her quest to raise funds for Women’s Legal Service QLD.

We are a nation in the grip of a domestic and family violence crisis. Growing national statistics can help us understand the gravity of the situation, but alarmingly, many victims of domestic and family violence will never report their experience. With many incidents going unreported, domestic and family violence may be much worse than we think.

By creating more awareness, education and empowerment for those suffering these situations we are working towards positive change.

To do this, services providing support, advice and free legal assistance are even more vital and require an even bigger service commitment to help support vulnerable members of the community. This requires more funding.

Midja Fisher has already raised $23,135 to date and hopes to raise even more via your valuable support at this event.

We are humbled to have our amazing guests join us on the panel to educate us and empower us to work together to combat DV and family violence and break the cycle.

This event will be hosted by Future Females Gold Coast at Audi Centre Gold Coast with our MC Tania Meli hosting the panel to prompt discussion around how we can create education and empowerment to drive positive change for prevention and awareness.

Introducing our panel speakers;

Anoushka Dowling – Social Justice Advocate and Violence Prevention Violence Prevention Specialist

Anoushka holds a Bachelor of Behavioural Studies, majoring in Psychology and is the Assistant Director of Griffith University’s MATE Bystander Program, a program centred on awareness of harmful behaviour and violence prevention.

Her work focuses on the importance of the bystander in the prevention of all forms of violence, abuse and discrimination, through promoting safe, equal and inclusive environments.

Passionate in understanding and exploring human behaviour leading to violence and working to establish change, focusing not only on prevention at its core, but in working with perpetrators to break the cycle for long term change.

Bianca Stone – Channel 7’s Sunrise Journalist and Presenter

Bianca is an award winning broadcast journalist and is a passionate advocate for pressing for change to prevent violence and reduce the impact that DV has on families within our communities.

Along with reporting on some of the biggest stories in Queensland, Bianca’s work has highlighted the devastating effects of abuse, such as her reporting and coverage of the Hannah Clarke story and the call for change in coercive control laws.

A stalwart of Queensland television Bianca has been bringing us the stories that matter most for almost two decades with prime reporting positions both in metro and regional areas. Working with Sunrise for over 5 years she has most recently been charged with bringing live and local Sunrise news service to Queenslanders every weekday morning.

Dinesh Palipana – Doctor, Lawyer and Disability Advocate

As only the second person to graduate medical school with quadriplegia in Australia, Dinesh is a doctor and also a lawyer, researcher and disability advocate.

He has spent most of his career raising awareness about inclusion and ensuring those who are the most vulnerable in our society have a voice.

In 2021 he became a Senior Advisor to the Disability Royal Commission, a body formed to investigate and prevent violence, neglect, abuse and exploitation of people with disability. The important work that Dinesh has done in this space is cementing a more inclusive society that supports people with disability to be independent and live free from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Currently Dinesh works in the emergency department at the Gold Coast University Hospital and is an advisor to the Disability Royal Commission.

His work as both a doctor and an advocate has exposed him to the widespread problem and impact of abuse that remains prevalent in our society.

This event is powered by Neilson Law and our key partners Audi Centre Gold Coast and BNI and event sponsors Earth and Skin Spa and Shadforth.

We are so grateful to our amazing sponsors that help us create the ultimate event experience for our guests;

This event includes:

▪ Witches Falls wine selection 🍷

▪ Signature G&T’s by Wildflower gin 🍸

▪ Craft beer by Burleigh Brewing Co. 🍺

▪ Delicious canapés and treats from Parkway

▪ Amazing Gift bags 🎁

Proceeds from the evening & raffle ticket sales will go toward Dancing CEOs fundraising for Women’s Legal Service QLD that will support women and children escaping domestic violence situations.

$115 TICKET PRICE + BOOKING FEE