AGAPI Care marked International Women’s Day with a special event hosted by CEO Mary Gakopoulos last Friday. The celebration brought together 75 guests to honor women’s achievements and discuss ongoing efforts to promote inclusivity and empowerment for women and girls in society.
During the event, Ms Gakopoulos highlighted the importance of International Women’s Day as a unifying force transcending borders. She stressed the need for every woman to have equal access to education, healthcare, and employment, highlighting the historical challenges women have faced in achieving equality and representation.
Ms Gakopoulos the called for continued efforts towards gender diversity, emphasising that diversity and inclusion are about valuing every human being, regardless of differences.
Addressing the issue of the gender pay gap, noting that “women are more than labels and that this gap remains a significant barrier to women’s inclusion.”
She urged for action, advocating for education, mentorship, and upliftment to break barriers and create a legacy of equality.
Special guests at the event included Arthur Evriniadis, President of AGAPI Care, who expressed pride in having “two powerful women”, Ms Gakopoulos and Ange Pilipasidis, leading the organisation.
Mr Evriniadis went on to highlight AGAPI Care’s commitment to hiring based on ability, not gender, and its efforts to address the gender pay gap, aiming to become a role model for other organisations.
Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis congratulated AGAPI Care and spoke about the history of International Women’s Day, stressing the need for progress in political empowerment. He cited United Nations statistics and stressed the importance of societal change to improve gender equality.
Taking to the podium Jenny Mikakos, former Minister, highlighted the progress made in women’s rights over the last century but emphasised the need for further action.
She called for social change in areas such as politics, healthcare, education, and employment to address existing disadvantages.
Pelagia Markogiannakis, Lieutenant Commander & Director of Project Control at the Department of Transport, also discussed this year’s theme of inspiring inclusion, the importance of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for all.
Lastly, Helen Tyrikos, General Manager of Heidelberg United Football Club, spoke about the impact of the Matildas on the economy during the Women’s World Cup. She highlighted the disparity in funding between men’s and women’s football, underlining the need for more support for women’s sports.
