Principal's Report

In the spirit of celebrating and recognising International Women’s Day the Principal Report has been written by the female member of the Principal Team, Mrs Emma Miller.

Traditionally this day is celebrated on March 8th around the world and allows us to reflect on how far we have come in relation to gender equality. It is a time that encourages us to take stock and to recognise the pinnacles of achievement of women in our communities. It is a time to reflect on and celebrate the remarkable achievements of the women that surround us. It is a time to make a difference; it’s time.

For those of you who think there are no barriers still remaining in relation to gender equality or work required to rectify them, think again.

Think about 3 special women in your life. Your mother. Your sister. Your friend. Now think about the fact that one in three women still experience physical and/or sexual abuse. In 2018, 69 women were violently killed in Australia by a current or former partner. So far this year, that number is already at ten. How about the fact that 93% of CEO’s in Australia are male?

I applaud the spirit of International Women’s Day but also recognise how great it would be if we didn’t need to raise this situation once a year. What if we recognised and reflected on this every day of the year? Better yet – what if it was reinforced all year?

The theme of International Women’s Day for 2019 is #BalanceforBetter. With the idea being galvanised action all year round. This encourages us to notice the absence of balance and celebrate its presence all year. Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist once explained that "the story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights." What a beautiful world it would be indeed if we could achieve this balance.

Tomorrow, Warrnambool College will be taking female leaders to a student breakfast hosted by Merrivale Primary School. We will continue to ensure the ‘big things’ such as employment panels always containing equal gender representation, the presence of gender equity groups and awareness campaigns of Domestic Violence with the 16 Days of Activism. We will also continue to try and reflect on the ‘little things’ such as the day-to-day language that we use around campus and the inference of our words and actions.

What about you? What will you do? How will you strike the balance #BalanceforBetter? Make International Women’s day YOUR day. Celebrate your way and do what you can to truly make a positive difference for women everywhere.