MY first memory of International Women’s Day is a rather vague one: a grainy black and white image of a women’s march accompanied by headlines of bra burning.
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I recall my mother and aunt giggling together and shaking their heads about it, but not understanding why.
Some 50 years later, as I sit in my office, the director of a regional conservatorium, I reflect on the gains and achievements made by women across my lifetime, and I am grateful.
I am grateful that some 100 years after the first International Women’s Day, I didn’t have to fight to go to school or university.
I am grateful that I was encouraged to play cricket and ride bikes and do woodwork at school. I am grateful that I could choose the books I wanted to read and the car I wanted to drive.
I am grateful that gender wasn’t one of the selection criteria when I applied for jobs, and that I have been paid the same salary as male counterparts. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had, but I am painfully aware that this is still not the case for all women.
I am heartened by the 2019 UN Women's International Women’s Day theme "Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change". It focuses on moving towards a more balanced world, and the crucial role that women can play in so doing.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2019, at Upper Hunter Conservatorium of Music, we take the opportunity to celebrate the achievements and contributions of the women who work with us, the women who learn with us, the women who encourage us, the women who make music with us.
We congratulate and thank the women who share their passion for music and their talents with the communities of the Upper Hunter.