Good News Stories
Celebrating International
Women's Day 2021
Our school leaders, Georgia Staines, Isabel Nolke, Stephanie Merrick, and Phoebe Wells, represented Toolooa SHS at the International Women’s Day celebrations at CQU on Monday 8th March.
International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8th in many countries around the world. It first began as National Women's Day in New York City on February 28th, 1909, and has its roots firmly in advocating for changes in labour laws to protect female workers.
While today we use International Women's Day as an opportunity to celebrate and honour women and the many roles they take on in society, the day is traditionally recognised as an historic moment in the women's labour and suffrage movements. In the 21st Century, the day has been expanded to include a focus on reproductive freedoms, freedom from violence, and equal pay.
The United Nations has declared this year's theme, 'Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID 19 world' because:
'Women stand at the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, as health care workers, caregivers, innovators, community organisers and as some of the most exemplary and effective national leaders in combating the pandemic. The crisis has highlighted both the centrality of their contributions and the disproportionate burdens that women carry.'
It is crucial that communities take the time to shine a spotlight on issues that impact women (and therefore impact ALL of us) not just on March 8th, but on a daily basis. We have made great progress in the arena of women's rights but International Women's Day is so important because we have not reached true equality yet.