Truganina resident Winitha Bonney says she feels “seen and heard” after being awarded an Order of Australia Medal.
On Australia Day, Ms Bonney and 370 other Australians were appointed to the general division of the Order of Australia. .
Ms Bonney was acknowledged for her service to women, dance and the community.
She is the founder and chief executive of the not-for-profit Bounczn Dance Company, as well as being the founder of #ColourFULL, Australia’s first leadership and entrepreneurship conference and awards night by women of colour, for women of colour and their allies.
Ms Bonney also founded Amina of Zaria, a digital platform and community that empowers and educates women of colour to succeed in their career, business and life.
Ms Bonney said although the public has received an insight into the struggles faced by people with brown and black skin since the Black Lives Matter movement began last year, the work done by her community is often “pushed to the back of the pile” by organisations.
“A lot of women and people of colour often get sidelined and sidetracked,” she said.
Ms Bonney, who is also a business coach and inspirational and motivational speaker, said that 150 women attended the soft launch of her #ColourFULL event in 2019.
“The thing I probably enjoy most is being in a space where I am no longer a minority, where the other women are no longer a minority, and seeing the joy on their faces too,” she said.
Ms Bonney, whose heritage is Tamil-Sri Lankan, was born in London and raised in Australia. She said that during her own dance career, she noticed much of Australia’s dance scene is “very Euro-centric” – something which she worked to change while serving as acting chief executive of Ausdance Victoria in 2015.
Ms Bonney said the Bounczn Dance Company aimed to offer holistic and inclusive dance lessons for people with all abilities, and from all genders and cultures.
Ms Bonney said Bounczn was temporarily closed due to the pandemic, but she hoped to re-open when the company finds some funding and a space to use for dance lessons.
Details: www.winitha.com/
