Indigenous affairs advocate Tanya Egerton has been named the national winner of the 2024 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award
Tanya Egerton from Katherine, Northern Territory, was crowned as the national winner of the 2024 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award, for her work in empowering the entrepreneurial aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across remote Australia.
Egerton is the founder and CEO of Circulanation, which helps to provide entrepreneurship education in the Northern Territory, and the Remote OpShop Project, which supports the development of op-shops in Aboriginal communities.
In addition to the $15,000 Westpac grant already awarded to the seven state and territory winners, Egerton will receive an additional $20,000 to further develop her projects.
“This is a significant honour, and I am deeply appreciative of AgriFutures and Westpac for their belief in my mission to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” she says.
“This award is a game changer for us and will significantly enhance what we can achieve in the next 12 months.
“With the additional $20,000 Westpac grant, we can develop a First Nations Leadership Council and establish a robust governance framework for the Remote Opshop Project.
“Our goal is to ensure high-quality, affordable essential goods are redirected from landfills and redistributed to remote communities, fostering empowerment and self-determination.”
Victorian rural health campaigner, Grace Larson, was announced as the National runner-up of the Rural Women’s Award.
As a paediatric critical care nurse, Larson has been working to address the health disadvantages faced by rural children through The Sisterhood Project.
She will receive an additional $15,000 to further develop her project.
Applications for the 2025 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award are now open and will close on October 9, 2024 (January 24, 2025 for NT Applicants).