Dr Patricia Hamilton is highly regarded in primary production sectors, the field of education and in rural communities as a collaborative leader, mentor and advocate for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. She is passionate about empowering women and girls by creating opportunities for them to develop and strengthen their leadership and management skills through a culture that celebrates life-long learning.

For twenty years, Patricia has been involved in a range of rural women’s organisations, including Australian Women in Agriculture Ltd (AWiA), the National Rural Women’s Coalition Ltd (NRWC), where she spearheaded, in her role as President of both organisations, significant leadership programs to empower rural women to be confident, capable, connected and influential. Her Board experience also includes: Director Regional Development Australia YMN, Australasian-Pacific Extension Network Ltd and Country to Canberra Ltd. Over three decades, she has developed and engaged diverse, well-established networks to build thriving and sustainable rural communities through women’s empowerment. Patricia has also engaged and worked collaboratively with government agencies, various teaching and agricultural boards, agri-business, the primary production sector and rural communities to ensure that the voices of rural women are heard loudly.

Patricia was acknowledged on the 2009 SA South Australian Women’s Honour Roll, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s 2015 Women of Impact and the Primary Industries and Regions SA 2015 Ambassador for Women Influencing Agribusiness and Regions, Convenor of the inaugural Thriving Women 2018 Conference to connect and advance agri-business women throughout Australia, and was selected as an Australian Government Civil Society representative to participate in the Australian Delegation to the 62^nd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW62) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York (March 2018) and acknowledge by National Council of Women (2018) as a great SA woman.

Patricia offers energy, passion, support and skills to engage, reach and motivate women to share experiences and information. Her leadership and management experiences, her wide range of networks, practical hands on experience and involvement in research and evaluation, with both education and rural enterprises, have shown her to be a trusted and respected advocate for women and girls.