International Women’s Day

Over the course of the year, College Street will draw boys’ attention to and celebrate several significant themes and causes such as Harmony Day, NAIDOC Week, Environment Day, Men’s Health and R U OK day. The first of these is International Women’s Day, falling as it does on 8 March each year.

The day was initiated by the United Nations in 1922, and has origins in social democratic movements and the campaign for equal pay. It is a day intended to both celebrate the achievements of women, and address issues where inequity exists, from forms of violence against women through to discrimination or harassment.

To celebrate the achievements of women, the AB ‘Banjo’ Paterson Library put together a wide and varying display of women’s literature, showcasing a number of significant issues and achievements. In the evening at our Ithaka Lecture, Sam Bloom spoke movingly about the extraordinary story of her experiences. In 2013, Sam suffered a devastating accident while on holiday with her young family in Thailand and was left paralysed from the chest down.

Pictured: Sam Bloom with Penguin – the magpie chick that inspired her recovery

Photo credit: Cameron Bloom

Deeply depressed and faced with never walking again, a chance encounter with an injured magpie chick, that the family dubbed “Penguin Bloom”, was to change her attitude, her recovery and her life. Many present were deeply moved by her candour, and the Q and A session showed how engaged the entire audience had been with her story of achievement in the face of adversity.

Mrs Shona Newall interviewing Sam and Cameron Bloom

To address issues of inequity, the School invited Chanel Contos to speak to all boys at College Street in the assembly address prior to the day.

Chanel talked to the boys about why she had founded the “Teach Us Consent” movement, promoting the importance of sexual consent education in schools, and indeed moving the government to mandate it in all Australian schools from Kindergarten to Year 10. She has recently been named the 2023 NSW Young Woman of the Year in recognition of her work as an advocate for consent. On the day itself, boys were shown a video in Registration. The footage showed comments that the female staff at College Street had experienced over the years that had made them uncomfortable, presented anonymously for boys to take pause and consider, interspersed with positive suggestions about the way forward.

The message from the video, along with posters displayed around the School should inspire boys going forward to play their part in creating an inclusive world that challenges gender stereotypes and bias and calls out discrimination and inequity.

Pictured: Ms Chanel Contos with pupils from the Future Leaders for Gender Equality Programme

The firm message of the day from Grammar: “Not better. Not worse. But equal”.

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