Last week we celebrated International Women’s Day with a breakfast at the College. Our College leaders held a few activities to mark this special event on the actual International Women’s day, which was Monday 8 March.

National Women’s Day was first celebrated on that day in the United States of America in 1909.

Over the last century much has been achieved for women thanks to the work and advocacy of many.  Most importantly, the greater levels of education and access to health and employment prospects have improved significantly in that time. Despite this, much still needs to be done. Our girls are very fortunate in that they can access education. There are over 130 million girls across the world who do not have this. Girls continue to experience greater levels of poverty, are trapped in child marriages and exposed to violence and physical mutilation in countries over the world. There continues to be barriers to equality and treatment of women that is unfair and discriminatory.

In this year, as we celebrate International Women’s Day, the media is filled with stories of the disclosures of young women of their experiences of sexual assault, the rising levels of domestic violence and the debate in parliament of the proposed new laws around coercive control. In all of these areas, it is the women who as victims are denied respect, dignity and equality.

The theme for International Women’s Day 2021 is Choose to Challenge. All of us, mums, dads, girls and boys, women and men, leaders and followers are charged with the brief to challenge gender bias, to challenge stereotyping, to call out and challenge inequality, to challenge gender power imbalances and challenge disrespect. As we all work towards a world that respects and values all people, we debunk the bias based on gender. 

With the easing of restrictions, we can now begin to plan for all the activities and experiences we would normally have with our parent community. Our first activity will be the P&F AGM. This will be held on Tuesday 30 March, in the Benedict Centre at 7.00pm. I warmly welcome you to this meeting. All positions are vacant, and your assistance will be greatly appreciated. A letter has gone home outlining the evening, along with all the roles that are held by the P&F.

Next week, we will be hosting St Patrick’s Day at the College. We are very fortunate in that our Bishop, Brian Mascord, will be celebrating our Eucharist at 9.00am. After mass we will have some Irish dancing and the girls will each receive a green cake in celebration. We will not be streaming our Mass, but parents are welcome to join us at the College. Finally, we will be holding our Gala Ball at the Cube on Saturday 20 March. If you would like to purchase a ticket please do so. All funds raised will support the Scholarship Fund.

I will leave you with an extract from A Litany of Women from the Church, by Sr Joan Chittester.

Blessings

Sue Lennox - Principal

Dear God, creator of women in your own image,
born of a woman in the midst of a world half women,
carried by women to mission fields around the globe,
made known by women to all the children of the earth,
give to the women of our time
the strength to persevere,
the courage to speak out,
the faith to believe in you beyond
all systems and institutions
so that your face on earth may be seen in all its beauty,
so that men and women become whole,
so that the church may be converted to your will
in everything and in all ways.

by Sr Joan Chittester