Alliance of Girls Schools – International Women’s Day breakfast

On Friday 3rd March, we (the College Captains), Ms Carre and Ms Liprino had the privilege of attending the Alliance of Girls Schools International Women’s Day breakfast at Queens Hall, Parliament House. Not only did we enjoy a delicious breakfast but we had the privilege of listening to a range of amazing inspirational speakers across various industries. This included Dr. Toni Meath, Georgie Crozier MP, Jess Wilson MP and Dr. Angela Grant, Head of Macroeconomics Division in the Australian Treasury. Alongside many other girls’ schools, notably Strathcona who helped to host the event, we had the opportunity to listen to their stories about their careers and specifically what it means to be powerful women in male dominated industries. 

Some inspiring women we had the opportunity to hear speak included Georgie Crozier MP and Jess Wilson MP. These women expressed to us the importance of making sure our voices are heard within these male dominated spaces, as well as expressing the importance of uplifting other women and inspiring them. Politics in particular calls for the voices of women, especially in this present time, and both Georgie Crozier and Jess Wilson stressed the importance of not being afraid to step into these spaces, because it is only through un-comfortability and stepping outside of our comfort zones that we can grow and inspire change. As the College Captains of MGC we hope that we can act as a vessel for their message and inspire the students within our own community to be the pillars for progress within the wider community.

It was a pleasure to hear Dr Angela Grant speak passionately about her career and experiences, as well as some priceless words of advice and inspiration. Dr Grant shared stories of international collaboration and the importance of advocating for yourself and the people you represent. She framed her journey through the idea we all have a What, Why and How which make us who we are, and stressed the importance of knowing your How - the essential qualities that drive you, and staying true to those qualities. For her, they include care, compassion and courage, and these values resonated with the three of us, as we have been discussing our values as College Captains and as a Senior School Executives as part of our plan for this year. She also spoke about the ways in which women crucially support one another in male-dominated industries, which unified us a group of young leaders in Melbourne girls’ schools, and rounded out a profoundly inspiring speech and an empowering event. Thank you again to the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia for putting together the breakfast and to Ms Carre and Ms Liprino for making the morning possible and attending with us! 

Louella, Ashna and Clem, 2023 College Captains