It was a no-brainer choosing 2022 Women’s Hall of Fame inductee

The news was a surprise to Melchert, who said she had to stop and think about the induction,what it signifies and how she could share the honour.

““I do work alongside a lot of very strong, determined inspirational women and girls everyday regardless of our history and we come to it with a lot of different backgrounds,” said Melchert. “I think we all share a common passion that we believe in a better world and in a better tomorrow especially for our children and our youth.”

Melchert’s passion for how women and girls, regardless of age, help knit society together and make it stronger is very apparent.

That strength translates into business as well, she made sure to point out.

“There’s a lot of work to be done. We’ve made a lot of progress over the years and I see a lot of women moving forward as society moves more into entrepreneurial opportunities,” said Melchert.

Women are natural entrepreneurs. We see where there’s a need and we know how to fill it, because that’s what women do,” she said.

The Government of Canada’s 2022 theme for Women’s Day is “Women Inspiring Women”, something that Melchert excels in, explained Halliday.

“She’s a touchpoint for a lot of women in our city. Getting women connected with other women, which is one of the themes for this year, women supporting women and building them up,” she said.

Melchert heads the Community Networking Coalition and has been the co-ordinator for more than 20 years.

“If she can’t help somebody, she knows somebody who can help that person. She is a lifelong community member and she’s constantly getting people involved,” Halliday explained.

Melchert has experience as a community school co-ordinator and was executive director of the Saskatchewan Association for Community Education.

She has been a leader in family violence education and intervention and helps shape and build community support for people facing partner violence.

The role of women in local community support services is significant and working together is crucial.

“The majority of our non-profits in our city are run by women executive directors. We need to connect with each other so that we have a support system,” Halliday said.

Melchert is from Prairie River, near Hudson Bay and said growing up in a small community has highlighted the role of women for her.

“In a small community everybody has a place. Everyone has a role and everyone is seen as having some kind of skill or knowledge. So you come out of that experience feeling confident about yourself,” she said.

Those elements are important elements to transfer into work that we’re doing every day is to be able to help people feel like that. That they have wisdom and a role to play whether you’re a child or whether you’re someone older,” Melchert added.

The Women’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place in early March. More details will follow soon.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow

by Susan McNeil

It was a no-brainer choosing 2022 Women’s Hall of Fame inductee

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