Up to 100 people braved Melbourne’s searing heat on Saturday to attend the International Women’s Day (IWD) at the Fairfield Bowls. Keynote speaker Jenny Mikakos, former Victorian minister, was the drawcard.
There was a significant contingent of Greek Australian women in the audience and other daughters and granddaughters of immigrants. They shared stories and experiences as women in a nation of migration.
The host, Darebin councillor Emily Dimitriadis, brought together a panel of speakers like social justice advocate and chair of Safe + Equal, Maria Dimopoulos, Afghan football player Mursal Sadat, entrepreneur and activist Hana Assafiri and commissioner Dr Judy Tang from the Victorian Multicultural Commission.
“Our grandmothers were denied an education,” Mikakos said, adding that women were anchors in the establishment and success of the Greek community here.
“I am immensely grateful to those women who came before us, including our Greek immigrant mothers and grandmothers who shaped us.
“Without those battle-hardened mothers who worked their hearts out for their children to have better lives than them, I wonder if the Greek community would be such a success story,” said Mikakos.
She highlighted education as the key to “achieving greater gender equality worldwide”. She then encouraged women to “support each other, to be positive role models and to mentor young people.”
The former minister did not hold back and expressed disappointment that in 2024, too few women “play a leadership role in social and cultural organisations”.
Mikakos regaled the audience with anecdotes and stories of her journey as one of the first and youngest female Greek Australian parliamentarians.
