For the first time, 2022 saw three women appointed seats on council including deputy mayor Jenny McKinnon and councillors Amelia Parkins and Georgie Davies.

Mrs Rolfe is hoping this will help to drive a change across a "conservative" Wagga community.

"I think it's really, really exciting that we have a new council and that we have, for the first time, three women who are serving," she said.

"And, we have Jenny McKinnon serving as deputy mayor.

"We've never had a women mayor in our community- although [mayor] Dallas [Tout] is doing an amazing job and is a very inclusive leader."

But Mrs Rolfe is more than confident in our female leaders.

"Women are great at leading but we lead in non-traditional ways," she said.

Although Mrs Rolfe believes there is still a long way to go in reaching gender-based equality as a community, and as a regional community as that, she said this year she can see a momentum of change.

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Mrs Rolfe said that change can be amplified if the city's men and women can in unity recognise the systematic flaws.

"What we as a community and society need to do is recognise that there are systems, structures, policies and processes that cause inequality and inequity and we need to take a hard look at those and demand change," she said.

"We need to acknowledge there is a problem and come up with solutions.

"If we want cohesion, sustainable economic growth and a continuity of jobs, then we need to stop marginalising women."

To see women in leadership roles is empowering to Mrs Rolfe, but they are not the only women who have a voice worth listening to.

"We need to be listening to the voices of all women, particularly our women of colour, our women with disabilities and women from all backgrounds," she said.

"There are strong voices within our communities that we need to be listening to."

And that's not the only step every day men and women can take to help break the barriers.

"In our everyday lives we have the capacity to lead change," Mrs Rolfe said.

"It's in the conversations we have, it's about the way that we interact with the young people in our lives.

"It's also about recognising what brings us together and makes us stronger but also recognising that no one woman speaks for any other woman."

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