MANDEVILLIAN DECEMBER 2020 VOL. 35 NO. 2
UN Gender Equality Summit Hosted by the UN Youth of Australia Organisation
On Saturday 24 October, UN Youth Australia, in partnership with UN Women Australia, hosted a national online summit on the role of the United Nations in advancing gender equality worldwide. Loreto Toorak was proud to invite Alana Collins, Lucy Marsh, Emma Wang and Elaine Ye to participate in this summit. Through workshops and interactive problem solving activities, students developed their knowledge and understanding of the current state of gender equality worldwide, and the UN’s involvement in advocating for gender equality abroad and at home. Participants heard from two inspiring female leaders, Janelle Weissman; the Executive Director of UN Women Australia, and Zahra Al Hilaly; the Australian representative on the UN Women Beijing +25 Youth Task Force. The delegates participated in a Q&A to learn how gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are central to the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “The Summit was a great experience to hear different opinions from women around the world and discuss issues in today’s society. It was a great chance to talk about the impacts that gender inequality has on different countries, as well as in the areas of politics, education, and health. This Summit also allowed us to connect with like-minded people and discuss how we can work towards gender equality. - Emma Wang (Year 9) “This Summit was a great opportunity for young Australians to approach the continuous global dilemma of gender inequality and the impact it has on education, politics and health. It helped me broaden my horizons in learning about and supporting gender equality, and encouraged me to connect with young Australians and be empoweredm to advocate for gender equality and “become leaders of today.” - Elaine Ye (Year 9) “The Summit was an experience I will never forget. We started the day with ‘ice-breaking games’ where I got to know girls from across Australia. Our first speaker, Janelle Weissman, spoke to us about justice, gender equality and women in leadership around the world. Zahra Al Hilaly spoke to us about diversity in politics, her experiences with the UN and unprivileged women in the world. I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to participate. - Lucy Marsh (Year 8)
“We spoke about how our generation can move to change these problems and the steps that the UN has already taken in the right direction. I found the summit beneficial for my knowledge and awareness around equality issues. I think that many people believe that we have equality already but that is wishful thinking and we still have a long way to go. It is important that we speak out about domestic violence, harassment and assault, even though they are hard topics to talk about. The day gave me a lot of time to reflect and think more about these problems in our society and what I can do to help, as well as the people around me. -Alana Collins (Year 8) Above (L-R): Participants in the UN Gender Equality Summit, Elaine Ye, Lucy Marsh and Emma Wang. Absent Alana Collins.
Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, and empowered humanity. 43
