Member for Davidson, Jonathan O’Dea has announced that Catherine Knox of Roseville is this year's local Davidson Electorate Woman of the Year. She is also nominated for the NSW Woman of the Year Award, to be announced on 7 March.
Catherine is the honorary Chief Executive Officer of the Gidget Foundation, which promotes education and awareness, as well fund raising to support women suffering from perinatal anxiety and depression.
"Catherine Knox's valuable work in assisting new mothers makes her an ideal nomination for this year's NSW Woman of The Year," Mr O'Dea said.
"The mother of 5 has personally experienced anxiety and depression following the birth of her first 2 sons and speaks widely on the important topic of perinatal mental health.
"Her past achievements and her ongoing work is setting new standards in the care and support of struggling mothers," he said.
Catherine Knox's achievements include:
- The Emotional Wellbeing Program at North Shore Private Hospital - the first comprehensive screening program in a private hospital setting in Australia;
- Presenting a paper on the program at a recent International Conference; and
- Delivering the keynote address at a recent Perinatal Mental Health Conference.
As well as overseeing the Gidget Foundation's operations, Catherine is working on establishing 'Gidget House', to provide a range of professional services for families dealing with the impact of perinatal anxiety and depression.
She has been actively involved (via the Gidget Foundation collaborating with PANDA) in the production of a DVD, 'Behind the Mask: The hidden struggle of parenthood', now widely distributed throughout Australia to antenatal and postnatal educators.
Catherine has a Masters degree in Gender and Cultural Studies and co-authored the book, 'Beyond the Baby Blues'. She was awarded the Williams/Dovey scholarship this year to study a Graduate Certificate in Social Impact at the University of NSW.
"Catherine's commitment and passion to the important area of perinatal mental health is admirable. Her strong desire is to support as many families as possible by providing access to services for those who struggle", Mr O'Dea concluded.
