Some 300 tickets for the breakfast have sold like hotcakes, without any promotion.
Organiser Ann Wise said there was huge interest in Gloriavale and Lilia would be speaking about her journey from leaving the West Coast religious community as a teenager with her family, to becoming the resilient and inspirational woman she is today.
Lilia is the grand-daughter of Gloriavale’s former leader Hopeful Christian and she escaped with her mother Miracle, father Perry and eight siblings in 2008. Lilia was 18 at the time and says she was used to wearing a full length dress and headscarf, and forbidden to cut her hair, speak back or wear jewellery and makeup.
Her destiny was a life of domestic servitude, food rations and childbearing.
Ten years on, Lilia lives a life she never dreamed possible. She flies around the country teaching audiences about leadership, self-respect and confidence.
She wrote a book about her childhood called Daughter of Gloriavale: My Life in a Religious Cult.
Zonta Ashburton is delighted to have her as their guest speaker and Ann said her transformation made for a compelling story that fitted perfectly with Zonta’s mission of empowering women.
"She has come from a completely other world and is using her experience in a new world to advocate for women."
The women’s breakfast will be the 24th for the Ashburton club.
