Who do you look up to in life? Who inspires you to be the best version of yourself? Who gave you the courage to be yourself? Who are the women showing us the way forward? 

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year in many countries around the world. In 2023, the theme for International Women’s Day was ‘Cracking the code: Innovation for a gender equal future’.  

Last week, on Friday 3 March, I was fortunate to attend an IWD Breakfast sponsored by the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia at Victoria’s Parliament House in the Queen’s Hall. In attendance were approximately 20 girls’ schools with students from Melbourne and regional Victoria, including our own St Catherine’s girls. 

It was an amazing morning with three guest speakers, two of whom were Members of the Vicotrian Parliament. Ms Georgie Crozier, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council and Ms Jess Wilson MP, the Member for Kew. Both women spoke with passion and pride about being female Members of Parliament and asserting their voice in the democratic processes we are privileged to have in Australia.  

During their speeches, they encouraged the girls in the audience to be strong and willing to represent their communities. Ms Crozier and Ms Wilson reminded all in the room, that adorning the walls of the Queen’s Hall were portraits of every Premier of Victoria and that only one Premier in all of Victoria’s history has been a woman, The Honourable Joan Kirner AC. Clearly there has not been a lack of talent among the women in our community, but certainly there have been other forces at play which have limited opportunities for woman to rise to leadership in politics and in other fields of work. 

Australia has produced many outstanding women who have made extraordinary contributions in all walks of life. The third speaker at the breakfast, Dr Angelia Grant is an amazing woman who gave a speech which was inspiring and heart-warming. Dr Grant is the Head of the Macroeconomic Conditions Division in the Australian Treasury and prior to this was Alternate Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for two years. She previously worked as an economic adviser in the Office of two former Prime Ministers and as Chief of Staff to a former Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer. She was awarded a PhD in Economics from the Australian National University in 2015. While her credentials are impressive to say the least, what was most impressive about Dr Grant was the way she connected with the girls in the audience in the most warm and sincere way. 

I spoke to several girls after the speech and every one of them was energised about the important roles they can play in the world. Dr Grant began her speech with these comments “I’ve thought a lot about what I would like to talk to all of you about today, because International Women’s Day is an incredibly important day, and you are an incredibly important audience.” She went on to talk about some of the things she has done in her work, but most importantly she spoke about how she does her work. 

“It is the how in our careers that sustains the what and the why. It fundamentally shapes the difference that we all make. It is our how that defines our interactions, our connections, and ultimately the full power of our impact. So how is it that I choose to do my job, which is ultimately a bigger question about how I choose to live my life. The answer is with kindness, with compassion, with curiosity, with care, and with courage.” 

Dr Grant talked about the core principles she lives by and the three important features of those principles which are so important.

• Principles stand still. They are not affected by the shifts that are occurring around us.
• Principles stand gently. They are not a rigid and hard set of rules that we use to harshly judge others.
• Principles stand alone. They are not affected by the behaviour of others.

The part of Dr Grant’s speech which transfixed me was when she spoke of the huge challenges she faced working at the IMF and working with people from different nations, cultures, and faiths. She discussed the dilemma of what do you do when others aren’t agreeing with you? Do you disengage with the issue or do you, as Dr Grants puts it, “lean in?” 

“Do you see everyone and every outcome as important? Do you enjoy the differences in people and respect differences in views, experiences, and perspectives, even when you do not agree with them? Do you welcome views that are different to your own and engage with those views in a way that is humble and kind?” 

“Do you act with gentle courage? A courage to state your position in a way that is inclusive and empathetic, and that explains your reasoning. Are you courageous enough to change the game? Are you open enough to shift your view? Do you look for balance? Do you define success broadly and in a way that takes into account both the end result and the process that it took to get there? Do you engage to come up with new options and possibilities?” 

Dr Grant has managed a career which captures her head and her heart. She spoke of her values which guide everything she does. Dr Grant chose a particular career, but she also decided how she chose to live her life. As I walked out of the Queen’s Hall, I overheard one of our girls talking to a friend, “I want to be like her. I want to make a positive difference in the world.” 

Presenting role models such as this to our emerging female leaders is imperative to inspire them and show the way forward in their leadership and lives. 

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  International Women's Day Breakfast, Parliament House, 2023

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  International Women's Day Breakfast, Parliament House, 2023

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  International Women's Day Breakfast, Parliament House, 2023