Jo Palmer says she cannot sew and cannot cook.
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But, according to the 36-year-old, she is part of a wave of new members joining the Country Women's Association.
Ms Palmer, a businesswoman from The Rock and Charles Sturt University alumni who was named 2019 NSW-ACT Agrifutures Rural Woman of the Year, will be the guest speaker at an event being organised by her own Uranquinty branch to mark CWA Awareness Week, which running in the first days of September.
"We are trying to raise awareness that the demographic has changed," she said.
"A lot of women are joining CWA for lots of different reasons. But in the dry times, we are coming together, so there are extra people to lean on and talk to."
As part of CWA Awareness Week, members are cashing in on their traditional image by encouraging rural communities to "start a sconversation", particularly on women's mental health awareness and support services in regional, rural and remote communities.
CWA state president Stephanie Stanhope said rural women, particularly, were often required to wear many different hats, and during the ongoing drought, may also be supporting a partner under enormous pressures, while also nurturing children suffering the mental health impacts of drought.
"These kinds of pressures will take a toll on anyone, and we all owe it to ourselves to be aware of family or friends who may be struggling, and also take notice of our own mental health and reach out if we need to. Just talking about a problem with people we trust can often make the world of difference, or be the first step in finding more professional support services," she said.
The CWA has teamed up with the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health to support the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program, which has a presence in Wagga.
Program manager Tessa Caton said one in six women in Australia will suffer from depression and one in three women will experience anxiety during their lifetime.
"I hope 'Sconversations' inspires and encourages women across NSW to strike up a conversation about mental health with their family, friends and colleagues. We also want to make sure people are aware of what to look out for, how to support someone who is struggling and how and where to seek help," said Ms Caton.
The CWA has also produced a reference card for branch members to distribute during awareness week, with the organisation's famous scone recipe on one side, and important information from support program on the other.
More information on the assistance the support program offers can be found at http://www.ramhp.com.au/
Ms Palmer will be speaking at 10.30am on Monday at The Deck at CSU. The cost is a gold coin donation, but bookings are required.