Rural and regional women across Australia are facing growing impacts of our changing climate system: floods, droughts, bushfires, frosts, other extreme weather patterns – putting our families and community at risk from climate impacts.
The Women’s Climate Congress (WCC) to be held in Castlemaine on Friday July 24 seeks to explore what could happen if women across our region came together to shape practical, community-led solutions for the future.
The event follows on from the WCC’s ‘Women Changing the Climate’ Victorian Congress at the Castlemaine Town Hall in March 2025, and the subsequent launch of the WCC’s Rural & Regional Climate Hub (R&RCH) pilot in Castlemaine which has continued local conversations around building community resilience.
The 2026 Castlemaine Women’s Climate Congress, headed up by local R&RCH coordinators Heidi Michael and Margaret de Kam, in partnership with
Women’s Health Loddon Mallee, are inviting women from the Loddon Mallee region to explore what matters most to to women in the area, and how we can work together to create meaningful local impact around climate solutions.
The congress will comprise two events the first being a ‘Tea Circle on Climate Conversations’ at Castlemaine Community House, 30 Templeton Street from 10am-12pm.
This free event will be an opportunity to enjoy a cuppa and connect with other local women of all ages to talk about climate.
From 1pm participants can then join visiting Australian director Liz Courtney at the Phee Broadway Theatre for a special Castlemaine screening of her internationally acclaimed documentary exploring Antarctica, climate science and the global changes shaping our future.
Antarctica – The Giant Awakens is a breathtaking journey to the frozen edge of our planet, where science, courage and discovery come together to reveal the beauty, wonder and urgency of understanding our changing world.
The documentary follows a team of young female climate scientists as they embark on a mission to Antarctica, led by Prof Benjamin Horton, one of the world’s leading experts in sea-level rise.
Antarctica, nearly twice the size of Australia, holds 75 per cent of the world’s fresh water. However, the Antarctic ice sheet, perched on a bedrock base, is now under threat as colossal ice cliffs surrounding the West Antarctic coastline are collapsing due to warming ocean temperatures.
Prof Horton emphasises the urgency of understanding the rate of glacier melt and the impacts of increased fresh meltwater into salty ocean currents.
Liz Courtney said the documentary aims to inspire communities and younger generations to engage with science, leadership and solutions for the future.
“Antarctica may feel far away, but what happens there affects us all. This film is about courage, discovery, science and hope – and the importance of communities coming together to understand and respond to change,” Courtney said.
The screening is open to people of all genders and ages and will be followed by a live Q & A with the director.
There will also be a second screening later that evening from 5pm-7.30pm so parents, their children, and interested people working during the day can also attend and see the film.
To book tickets for the Tea Circle visit https://events.humanitix.com/tea-circle-on-climate-conversations-castlemaine
Tickets for the film screenings are $10, $5 concession, children free (up to 18 years) visit https://events.humanitix.com/rural-and-regional-climate-hub-castlemaine-film