Coming together this International Women’s Day
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across waters to create many ripples.”
International Women’s Day is held annually on the 8th of March as a day to celebrate women and continue the conversation around women’s rights.
The theme for International Women’s Day 2020 is drawn from a notion of collective individualism.
It speaks to the fact that we as individuals can make a difference but also how our actions can be part of a greater collective. Our individual actions, conversations, mindsets and behaviours can impact the greater society.
But equality is not just a women’s issue. It’s something that we all must work on together. International Women’s Day can also be a time for the men in our lives to step up and stand together with the women in their lives. It’s about being inclusive. As the International Women’s Day campaign states, “a gender-equal world can be healthier, wealthier and more harmonious”. This is a day to support one another and to see how each of our individual actions can help bring more quality to all.
At SMCT, we take this day as a way to recognise the achievements of the women in our lives, past and present. To acknowledge the women who have gone before us and the journeys they have experienced.
We have some wonderful ways to learn more about the women who are resting in some of our locations around Melbourne. The historic and iconic Melbourne General Cemetery is the final resting place of many notable Victorians. We offer day tours, where our experienced guides will ‘introduce’ you to Melbourne General Cemetery’s who’s who, while giving you fascinating insights into one of Australia’s most historically significant cemeteries.
But the women we remember don’t have to be famous or have marked achievements in history. During International Women’s Day, let’s remember all the women who have touched our lives and may no longer be with us. Their lives, their lessons and their history all add to our future.
How will you recognise International Women’s Day this year and make your own personal impact to add to the collective movement?
You can join in the conversation online this year by using #EachforEqual. This international Women’s Day, let’s think collectively. We can make change happen. We can each help to create a gender-equal world, collectively.