JASMINA SIDEROVSKI

EDITOR'S NOTE

How do you #ChooseToChallenge?

It is crucial we all #ChooseToChallenge for International Women’s Day. As thriving women in our careers, at home and in social circles, women still haven’t achieved generation equality in 2021. Although we have come a long way we stand for the basic human rights of our sisters in many parts of the world. COVID-19 may have changed our world forever, but one thing we know for certain at eYs Magazine is that recognising the achievement and progress of women around the world will always take a priority.

International Women’s Day #IWD is a global celebration of the economic, cultural, political, and social achievements of women and a call to action for accelerating gender parity. In honour of equality and the fight for recognising the wonderful work women as leaders do around the globe, we are honouring women from 195 countries. Our voice is united as eYs Magazine plays a vital role in holding the governments, organisations, business, individuals, and groups accountable.

Every year since its inception in 1975, International Women’s Day rolls around on the 8th of March as a reminder for us to reflect on how far we have come in terms of women’s rights but check in with the fact that we have so far to go. Landmark events such as women’s right to vote in Australia (all states) in 1908 and watching extraordinary women such as Jacinda Ardern create lasting impact through leadership are all hopeful reminders of the leap’s society has made towards gender equality.

However, this year’s theme, Women in Leadership, comes at an important time in global history. With COVID-19 wreaking devastating havoc on life and livelihoods, the brunt of the impact continues to still be experienced by women. During this time, gender inequality has revealed itself through a higher percentage of job losses, less financial security, and a recorded increase in domestic violence-related enquiries. And this is only the tip of the iceberg. Now and forever, we collectively #ChooseToChallenge systemic inequality so that women can have a seat at whatever table they so choose. As a publication of mostly women with some fantastic males in the mix, we are taking the time to ask our interconnected community what this day means to them as well as the impact they hope to drive moving forward.

The day unites female communities all over the world and should stand to encourage and inspire women to not only feel empowered to stand up and speak up but also to support other women around them in doing the same. The energy and activity we create are far more influential than what we can do alone, after all. Whilst we can’t all be Emmeline Pankhurst’s, we can start by doing some important work on ourselves, to find our power, uncover our truths, and harness our feminine energy this #IWD. As female rights have certainly come a long way, in modern society with so many things running on masculine energy, it can be hard for us to make ourselves heard, or even to hear ourselves, for that matter. Take some time to nourish yourself, pause and prepare for the next phase of female fearlessness and fruitfulness.

In this edition of eYs Magazine, we honour some amazing women who have dedicated their lives to combat the stigma of historic struggles by women throughout the world. Our cover story focuses on an exceptional young lady who defeats the daunting challenges for fundraisers during the pandemic. We highlight and talk to women Extraordinaire’s Mireille Toulekima and Tina Allton. Our newest team members, Clare Erasmus and Christopher Mukasa introduce us to two inspiring women ambassadors. Bojana Bogojevic gets an exclusive with Dr Dragoslav Popovic and the truth about vaccines, read the heartwarming story by Maya Apostoloska and we Focus on Business with Natalie O’Connor. A full edition and more.

“Here’s to strong women: May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”

Jasmina Siderovski

CEO and Editor-in-Chief eYs Magazine