By Jonathan McQuie
In conjunction with International Women’s Day celebrations, a local community organisation is providing women from around the south-east the opportunity to hear the stories of female leaders from a wide variety of multicultural backgrounds.
The celebration, hosted by the Women’s Association South-East Melbourne (WASEMA), aims to celebrate the role women play in the local community, as the speakers share their leadership experiences and encourage efforts towards women’s equality.
Confirmed speakers on the day will include the Minister for Women Gabrielle Williams and Dr. Tania Miletic, policy officer for the Ethnic Community Council Victoria.
The speakers come from a multitude of nationalities, including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India and Afghanistan.
In addition to the singers, there will also be cultural displays of singing and dancing.
According to Nika Suwarsih, head of community development for WASEMA’s Dandenong North Friendship Café, the day will be full of hope and promise for the future.
“We will have the opportunity to discuss with prominent women leaders the theme of the day, ‘An equal world is an enabled world’, and how we will help forge together a gender equal world and raise awareness against bias and take action for equality, while highlighting every woman’s uniqueness and inherent exceptional leadership skills,” she said.
WASEMA was established in early 2018 in order to offer monthly networking opportunities and support to individual women and women’s groups.
It runs friendship cafes in the City of Greater Dandenong, City of Casey, and Shire of Cardinia, as an environment for women to connect.
The event will be held at the North Dandenong Neighbourhood House, on Wednesday 11 March between 10am and 12pm.
