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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-02-05 Daily Xml
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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (14:57): My question is to the Minister for the Status of Women. Can the minister provide information on events to be held in honour of this year's International Women's Day?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (14:57): I thank the honourable member for the question and for his interest in this important policy area. International Women's Day is held on 8 March every year to celebrate the amazing contribution women make within our community. A diverse range of organisations and individuals across metropolitan and regional South Australia develop events to acknowledge the achievements of women in their community, and a number of events have been successfully built up over many years that are now recognised as important and popular on the International Women's Day calendar.

The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) organises the traditional Adelaide UNIFEM International Women's Day breakfast each year, with around 1,900 women and men attending last year, including many young women from secondary schools. The breakfast raises much-needed funds for UNIFEM projects to assist disadvantaged women across the globe. Hosted by Senator the Hon. Penny Wong, this year's breakfast will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Friday 6 March and will include speaker Evonne Goolagong Cawley MBE, AO.

The International Women's Day Committee SA Incorporated organises the very popular International Women's Day luncheon each year, which in 2009 will be held on Wednesday 4 March. The luncheon features the presentation of the winners of the Irene Bell Awards for community service; the Irene Krastev Award for services to women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; the Gladys Elphick Award for services to Aboriginal women; and the Barbara Polkinghorn Award for services by a woman writer.

The International Women's Day Collective organises the traditional march and festival, which will this year take place on the evening of Wednesday 5 March. Women will march from Victoria Square to the garden of the Brecknock Hotel, where there will be live performances and speeches.

I am pleased to say that organisations in regional areas have become increasingly involved with International Women's Day, and a number of events have successfully increased the participation of women through providing a broader range of more accessible events that are appropriate and popular with women in their local community. To mention just a few, these include:

breakfasts in many regions, with guest speakers, have been planned and organised by Zonta clubs;

an afternoon tea at Gawler held in collaboration with Zonta, the Country Women's Association, Guides and others, with guest speaker Anne Beadell and a debate entitled 'Gawler Embraces Diversity';

also at Gawler, the Women's Journeys art exhibition, which will be held at Café Nova from 2 to 5 March;

a celebration of 20 years of the national women's health policy, with guest speakers at the Noarlunga Women's Health Centre; and

a women's health fair at Port Lincoln.

I look forward to attending as many as possible of these events, which continue to celebrate the achievements and contributions of South Australia's truly remarkable women.

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