Following an introduction from host Valerie Weekes, UNAA member Pamela Lemoine read a message from United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon. “We have shattered so many glass ceilings, we have created a carpet of shards,” wrote Mr Ki-Moon. “Now we are sweeping away the assumptions and bias of the past, so women can advance across all frontiers.”
Iranian woman, Negar Tavoly, gave a presentation on the status of women in Iran, calling the audience to act to support gender equality in Iran.
The second speaker, writer, producer and lecturer Susan Moylan Coombs, spoke on the achievements of and challenges for Indigenous women in Australia. Ms Coombs particularly noted the importance of maintaining a balance between the genders in society. “Yes this is International Women’s Day and I celebrate women, but I also celebrate the feminine in men,” she said. “We both have roles to play.”
Following the break, Sue Conde, a representative of UN Women, outlined the organisation’s recent successes throughout the South Pacific region. On the subject of violence against women, Ms Conde called on the audience to act. “There is an awareness, but how are we going to translate that into action?” she said. “This year needs to be a year of action, and if we really want to combat violence against women we have to put our money behind it.”
In addition to providing the updates, Ms Conde outlined the new “Face It Together” campaign, with spokesperson Nicole Kidman, which had been launched earlier that day by UN Women. The campaign aims to end violence against women through raising awareness. People can show their support by uploading their photo to the campaign website and donating to the cause.
Valerie Weekes closed the event with her talk on unrecognised women in history. She ended on a call to action for the crowd: “Those who are present today have a responsibility to take the message to the community, to share what they have learnt at this session.”
