You can't be what you can't see...

Gladstone Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) is celebrating Gladstone Region women in business, and their contributions to our community, in 2023 with the This Is Us Project.

Made possible thanks to support from Gladstone Regional Council Regional Arts Development Fund, the Queensland Government's Investing In Queensland Women Grant Program, Here For Gladstone, Style House Fashion and La Belle Bake, the project is a portrait photo exhibit, a photobook and a behind-the-scenes video series.

Its creation involved photographing 30 Gladstone Region women over three days in January 2023, and gathering their stories, including their triumphs and achievements, obstacles and biases they have overcome in their careers, and their hopes for the future.

These photos and stories were then compiled into the This Is Us Photobook, with copies donated to all Gladstone Region libraries and all Gladstone Region high schools in the hope of inspiring future generations of women in business.

The This Is Us Photo Exhibit launched at GCCI's International Women's Day Celebration, with pop-up exhibits planned for numerous locations around the Gladstone Region in 2023.

GCCI Vice President Alison Murdoch said the project was an opportunity to “recognise and celebrate women in business in the Gladstone Region, so that their successes are visible and normalised".

“We feel incredibly privileged to not only have had these 30 amazing women share their stories with us but allow us to share these stories with the wider community through the This Is Us Project," she said.

Participant Merrin Gardiner, owner of My Little Potted Garden, said it was a privilege to be chosen to be a part of the This Is Us Project.

“I applaud GCCI for championing a ground-breaking project that celebrates women in business in our community,” she said.

“You can’t be what you can’t see, which is why it is so important to normalise the achievements of women in business across a range of professions.”