Gloucester Environment Group celebrate International Women’s Day

THE Gloucester Environment Group (GEG) held its annual International Women’s Day (IWD) event on Sunday, 8 March.

Co-organiser Dianne Montague said the IWD event, brought to life for the first time three years ago, was always a “joyful day”.

Another GEG member, Megan Dewsnap, said the annual celebration is “an opportunity for local women to come together, tell stories and celebrate womanhood”.

This year’s guest speaker was ex-MidCoast councillor Kathryn Stinson, who shared what it was like being a young woman working in local government.

“We love having local women speak at this event,” member Sue Watts remarked.

International Women’s Day has deep roots.

Clara Zetkin first proposed the idea back in 1910 at the Second International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen.

The idea was realised the following year when over one million women and men attended International Women’s Day rallies in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.

Australia held its first International Women’s Day event in 1928.

“It is important to honour the history of International Women’s Day,” GEG member Janine Phillips told News Of The Area.

“We have to remember the shoulders we are standing on.”

Sue Sedgewick said IWD was a time to not only celebrate women but also to consider what can be done in the future.

Building awareness was another key factor for organising the event.

“We have come a long way, but there is still inequality that needs to be addressed,” Ms Montague explained.

By Wendy BUSWELL