Hosted by the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation from the University of Canberra, the International Women’s Day event at the National Press Club welcomed feminist icon, columnist and writer Anne Summers for a whirlwind trip back to Canberra from New York to speak on the “Politics of women’s representation”.
It was for all inspiring and thought provoking and a chance to look at the present dilemmas and future possibilities.
Summers knows those hard beginnings of being a journalist in the old ‘House on the Hill’ and her journey making choices to weave her way through the early days of the Office of the Status of Women, a fascinating career, 8 books and to currently be promoting her latest ‘Unfettered and Alive’ a memoir that is dense with stories and a life well lived.
Get it, read it and relish it.
While there seems to be dearth of women we can call feminist icons, history demonstrates those who are determined and committed to promoting and to seek a gender balance that we can all be proud of are being heard loud and clear.
The current parlous state of the government and its “women problem” was surmised by Summers as being “women having a problem with the Liberal party”.
But it’s across the board and only when women are prepared to make a difference, to keep seeking what is right, voicing their beliefs and acting on them will they rectify the unequal aspects of this society.
