Ex-Marie Clare editor Jackie Frank addresses crowd at Women's Week event at Dubbo

Ms Frank, the founding editor of the Australian edition of Marie Clare magazine addressed this year's Women's Week gathering at Lazy River Estate on Friday.

A large crowd of women leaders in business, government and community groups in Dubbo and around the region came for the CommBank Assembly that kicked off on Thursday, March 2 at The Exchange on Macquarie Street.

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"I was never really a fan of quotas but when I thought about it that women are still woefully under-represented at management levels in Australia's workplace according to studies, and I thought that is really a low base," Ms Frank said.

"When I consider this, I thought quota serves as a proactive approach to level the playing field for women who may not have access to the same opportunities as men.

"By setting quotas for women's representation in decision-making roles we can ensure diversity is prioritised and women's voices are heard."

Ms Frank said studies show persistently more than 60 per cent are men who occupy the helm of industries and government and it needs to be levelled up with more women in decision-making roles.

"Barriers today are less visible than those in the past but they are are still there even if studies have shown companies with higher representation of women in leadership positions tends to perform better financially.

"Funding for women start-ups have dropped, we cannot have equality without equity ... we need to break down barriers that hold women back from reaching their full potentials."

Among the local business leaders she was addressing, Ms Frank acknowledged Spears and Arrow business owner Chantelle Ryan, a former school teacher who now runs her own company assisting disadvantaged children.

"You've got it right here in Dubbo [examples of local women], who have gone out of her comfort zone. Chantelle your story is so good to not recognise ... this woman is changing the lives of children in this region," Ms Frank said receiving a loud applause from the audience.

"It's time to show the world we are capable of achieving ... we need to advocate for ourselves and support each other ...if you hear of discrimination you need to call it out right there."

Ms Frank also revealed how her "risk taking" journey in her job in the publishing industry in Australia, United States and United Kingdom working for the Marie Clare editions that started in 1992, has made her a target of lobby groups such as "the Christian Society Lobby to get me removed from my job" for her support of the same-sex marriage equality campaign.

"They threatened to pull out advertising and they were active but I knew then it was the right thing and it was right for Marie Clare [to promote the story] because same-sex marriage equality was a social issue," Ms Frank said.

"That's what great storytelling is, good storytelling moves people and starts conversations that have an incredible impact in our society."

Ms Frank has left Rupert Murdoch's magazine publishing stable that she had a strong influence for three decades, and now runs her own media business, Be Frank Group, creating innovative contents about brands and products for women.

The Exchange founder and chief executive Jillian Kilby who organised the event as part of her role in the women's economic empowerment committee with the NSW government has announced at the gathering that the region's women are eligible to receive up to $5,000 grant if they are needing support to return to work after having children, had faced health problems and financial difficulties as they seek work.

"It's a financial tool kit for regional, remote and rural women if they have a career break, had babies, or had changed employers. You can get a new laptop, a new set of work outfits, and we need to let employers know about this," Ms Kilby said.

Ms Kilby also announced there are 16 types of assistances for women in regional areas to access in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments, a process of implanting fertilised egg in the woman's uterus, so they can have children apart from natural conception.

"IVF services for women out here are not easy because it's not something you can get down the street," Ms Kilby said.

Guests on Friday included five local men acknowledged at the event, among them Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders who told the women it was important for him to let them know of his perspectives on regional women as their advocate in parliament.

"It doesn't matter where you are, women will have the ability to be whatever they want to be wherever they are, they can be in Dubbo, Mudgee, Narromine, Gulgong ... It's important for me for you to know that's what equality and equity means to me, you will always have my support in your journey," Mr Saunders told his audience.

Ms Frank also said the support of "male champions" was needed now more than ever because issues facing women such as work-life balance, equal pay, domestic violence and discrimination have "not been changing fast enough".

"While we come together, we obviously need the men to help change the biases, if there is discrimination, if there is domestic violence, we need the men to stand up for what they see," Ms Frank said.