The Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HACCI) will be marking International Women’s Day with another event hosted by three inspirational Hellenic Australian women.
On Wednesday 9 March, HACCI will celebrate the enormous contribution of women in the Hellenic Australian community with a joint discussion entitled ‘Empowering women, empowering humanity: picture it’.
The evening will focus on the importance of prioritising gender parity and women’s empowerment in the social, economic, cultural and political realms.
“We are running a panel this year instead of having a one speaker presentation,” HACCI secretary and director of the HACCI Internship Program Fotini Kypreos says, explaining the chamber’s aim to engage more with the audience.
“The three women are going to speak about their experiences in a discussion in a heightened format and we’ll also have audience participation via a Q&A session at the end.”
These three women of Hellenic background, who in their own right have been extremely successful in their chosen careers, come from diverse industries but they are connected in terms of the challenges they faced, the choices they made and how they empowered themselves in order to succeed.
Author and researcher Professor Joy Damousi, former Victoria Police officer Calliope Kwas and entrepreneur Kathy Tsaples will be the main panellists.
Joy Damousi is Professor of History at the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne and an accomplished, internationally-renowned author and researcher. Joy was the first woman to receive the prestigious Australian Laureate Fellowship at the University of Melbourne in recognition of her ambassadorial role in promoting the role of women in research.
Calliope Kwas was the first female Greek Australian member of Victoria Police. Joining the force at the age of 24, she yearned for the blue uniform, which to her was a symbol of justice. She retired only last year after an astounding 34 years of service.
Kathy Tsaples is the founder and owner of one of Melbourne’s most prized market specialty food stores, Sweet Greek. Kathy started her career as a high-flying financial executive who climbed the ranks in the professional advisory to the top. After conquering breast cancer, she pursued her dream and became a hugely successful businesswoman and entrepreneur.
“They all have very interesting stories to tell about how they chased their respective dream, excelling in industries that were mainly male-dominated,” Mrs Kypreos emphasises.
“We are looking forward to positively inspiring younger generations in achieving their goals and aims. That includes not only people in university or graduate level but also women in their 30s and 40s. It’s all about standing up and making the choices you want rather than waiting for someone to come along and give you the opportunity.”
* Tickets: $65 for HACCI/HYPN members and $70 for guests. Tickets can be booked online via Trybooking or the HACCI office on (03) 9602 2977, or by emailing rsvp@hacci.com.au
When: 6.30 pm, Wednesday 9 March
Where: Kosmopolitan, Level 1, 14 Star Circus, Docklands
Drinks and finger food will be provided and there will be door prizes and a gift bag for all attendees, valued at over $150. It is important attendees book their tickets prior to the date of the event for the HACCI team to make the arrangements.
