International Women’s Day at Parliament House – 4 March 2024
“Have courage, not confidence.”
Representatives of the Year 12 Leadership team: Madeline, Georgia, Alannah and Fathya were invited to attend the International Women’s Day event at Parliament House on Monday, 4 March 2024.
Parliament House was as grand as it could be, as we walked through the corridors with anticipation; seeing the mosaic tiles and the shiny chandeliers. Sitting in the plush green seats of the Legislative Council, we were empowered, in being surrounded by numerous female leaders, and had the opportunity to listen and ask questions to a diverse panel of women.
We were fortunate enough to have our lovely guest speakers joining us: Ms Eden Foster, Ms Nicole Werner, Professor Julianne Moss, and Ms Jennifer Huppert. These women came from differing cultural and professional backgrounds, from various education pathways and political standings – but in common they had all experienced a gap as women in leadership positions, and sought to fill it for the future generations – as they said, “make our ceiling your floor”. They discussed the importance of women in leadership, why there has been a historic divide, and how they believe female leaders need to be invested in in the future. Despite all reaching great heights in their careers, the panel all outlined their first steps merely putting their hand up to volunteer in their local communities, and how while we may be fearful – it is extremely important for us all to have the courage to have a go.
One of the most memorable moments from this event was the quote “Have courage, not confidence”, delivered by Ms Eden Foster (former mayor of Greater Dandenong). During her schooling years, she revealed that she was a shy student, therefore it limited her opportunities in leadership roles. She illustrated the challenges faced in her later adult years where she had to step out of her comfort zone because she had aspirations to lead her community. In the end, her determination flourished as she became the first woman to represent the Division of Mulgrave; a remarkable achievement that shows her passion in community service. During the discussion of influence within leadership positions, evidence shows that the first person to share their opinion is often the most influential. Foster partially rebuts this statement by stating “the last person to say an opinion can also be influential” emphasising the importance of courage to share one’s ideas, as opposed to the order of who shares the opinion. She empathised with people who still find leadership roles daunting yet has aspirations for the community, which resonates with a lot of people, especially the youth who often undervalue themselves even to this day. However at the end of the day, Foster believes that perseverance and passion to advocate for change overrules the overconfidence to only be heard but not aiming for social change. Foster’s speech about courage was vulnerable yet relatable, and we are grateful to hear her stories from her school years as a valuable lesson to uphold.
Sadly, like all great things coming to an end, so did the day’s event. We took pictures around the room, and had a great treat of speaking personally to Professor Julianne Moss. We briefly talked about the need for more women to participate in leadership roles, and how education plays a big role in changing the status quo for the better. We left the building with a spark for lots of discussions, and in the end parting ways as we finished our day.
We thank Ms Alisha Smith for chaperoning us during the event and MrThomas Grant and others involved in sharing this opportunity for us.
By Georgia K (12A), and Fathya P (12J)
International Women’s Day Breakfast – 8 March 2024
On Friday 8 March, the Wellbeing Team had the pleasure of hosting MWSC’s International Women’s Day celebrations in the Phoenix Gallery. This year the theme was ‘Inspiring Inclusion’.
The morning started off with breakfast and an opportunity to greet teachers, Year 12 leaders and our guest speakers. First we heard from a Year 12 leader Fathya P, who shared with us the story of her mother’s resilience and hard work towards achieving her Master’s Degree. She also spoke about the CED method of change, centred around prioritising Communication, Education and Delegation in order to cultivate an inclusive atmosphere and societal improvement.
Our guest speaker, Ms Olivia Roberts, is an air-force pilot who spoke about her journey from uncertainty about a career to finding and nurturing a new-found passion. Liv underscored the importance of visible representation as a significant factor in opening doors for marginalised young people, linking this to her challenges as a woman in a male-dominated field. Following her speech, all attendees were left with the motivation to overcome obstacles that may stand in the pursuit of their dreams.
We are very grateful to have heard from Fathya and Liv, who inspired us through their stories and innovative ideas for change. Thank you so much for everyone who helped organise our IWD celebration and to the wonderful guest speakers who presented!
By Maya C (12I) and Clementine J (12G)