06 March 2019
On Tuesday 5 March, over 100 students and staff joined together this morning to celebrate and acknowledge the significance of International Women’s Day 2019.
Tasmanian members of the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia were invited to attend with representatives from five local schools enjoying the occasion. Senior school students from Fahan School, St Mary’s College, St Michael’s Collegiate, Mount Carmel College and Ogilvie High School united over breakfast, sharing their personal stories and experiences as young women.
International Women’s day is an important day for women to feel empowered, to celebrate the considerable achievements made in gender equality and to highlight the challenges still ahead.
Communications professional and Fahan alumna, Ms Keryn Nylander, spoke at the event. Sharing her career highlights, Ms Nylander offered many key lessons she has learnt throughout her working life to the captivated audience, emphasising the importance of self-belief. On facing professional challenges, Ms Nylander said, “Make the most of all situations if the end goal is worth it and say ‘yes’ to opportunities that arise. It is so important for women to take on positions of leadership, influence and power because that is how we can bring about change.”
Fahan School Principal, Mr Tony Freeman, reflected that today’s event was held at a school whose founders, Ms Travers and Ms Morphett, recognised that educating and empowering young women would provide them with new opportunities and pathways to achieve their full potential. “They promoted a strong academic program that encouraged Science and other non-traditional fields of study of the time. Their vision has continued through to today and I believe they would support us in continuing to strive for gender equality,” said Mr Freeman.
“Today was a wonderful opportunity for students from all five schools to come together as members of the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia; to connect with one another as influential contributors to a changing world,” said Mr Freeman.
