WHEN Echo News cadet journalist Cindy Cartojano decided to pitch a subject for Wimmin’s Work, a project documenting the experiences of women living and working in WA, the first person she thought of was her immigrant mum Loreta.

Ms Cartojano said growing up her mum always told her and her brother stories about her life of poverty in Manila.

“When we went back to the Philippines last year, we visited the school she lived in and this experience really put things into perspective,’’ Ms Cartojano said.

“I realised how fortunate I was to have the life I did.

“When I read the brief for the Wimmin’s Work project, my mum was the first person that came to mind.

“She’d been working since she was a little girl to support her family because she was the eldest child.

“She gave up her dream of teaching because she was told by her parents nursing would give her a way out.”

Her mum studied and worked hard to make sure that her children did not grow up in the same environment she did.

Ms Cartojano said the hard work of immigrant women, especially, was overlooked.

“These women often spend a lot of time away from home and away from their family,’’ she said.

“But they get on with it anyway.

“I chose my mum for this project as a way of acknowledging her resilience and the resilience of other immigrant women like her.’’

The Wimmin’s Work project – the name is a nod to the women’s liberation movement and feminist adoption of the word women – is a partnership between the State Library and Women in Media WA and was supported by the state government.

The stories were launched at an event hosted by the State Library on April 30.

Creative Industries Minister Simone McGurk said the State Library and Women in Media WA had provided a platform and support for emerging and returning filmmakers, journalists and photographers to develop their craft.

“The stories showcase the lived experience of trailblazers, peacemakers, homemakers, risk-takers and movers and shakers who are shaping our state,’’ she said.

Ms Cartojano, who started working at Echo News in January, said interviewing her mum was an overwhelming experience.

“There were moments in the interview where I felt sorry for her because of what she had to go through,’’ she said.

“But as she shared her accomplishments, I felt proud of her.

“I think this shift in emotions is reflected in the way I edited the video because in the first half, she talks about her hardships and how she didn’t want to do nursing.

“Towards the end of the video, it shows how she’s come to terms with her career choice, and she says she loves nursing now.’’

When Ms Cartojano showed her parents the final edit she noticed her mum was teary-eyed while her dad was smiling and looked happy.

She first heard about the Wimmin’s Work project in her final semester at Curtin University last year.

“One of my tutors emailed a group of us and said we should pitch an idea for the project,’’ she said.

Ms Cartojano said she valued the paid content and mentoring opportunity as creative projects relating to women’s work were usually unpaid.