In July 2008 this website (http://afmw.org.au) was redeveloped with the award winning open source content management system Joomla! by VMWS Treasurer Dr Jill Tomlinson and NSW-based web designer and IT expert Dinah Randall. This redevelopment is part of the Bridging Leadership Barriers Project being conducted by AFMW in 2008-09.

Joomla! skills training has been conducted in Victoria and New South Wales for medical women from multiple Australian states. Further training will be conducted in the months ahead. Our aim is to provide medical women with the skills they need to manage the website content for their local medical women’s society.

Bridging Leadership Barriers project manager Dr Jill Tomlinson has opted for a heavy IT focus in the project, believing that the internet will play an increasingly important role in future undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. “The potential of the internet in enhancing medical education is phenomenal. The web also offers wonderful opportunities for practitioners in rural and remote locations to participate in online networking, reducing professional isolation and resulting in greater social inclusion. This networking can occur not just within Australasia but across the globe.”

One of the educational aspects of the AFMW project is the online AFMW Leadership Portal. We hope that the leadership skills resources will enhance the confidence of those who access them, encouraging women to adopt leadership positions within their community and medical field. Read these resources at our Leadership Portal.

The Australian Federation of Medical Women Bridging Leadership Barriers Project has been funded by the Australian Government through the Women's Leadership and Development Programme.