Hear us now: Defining moments for women in Australia 2023

Join us in-person or online for a fascinating lunchtime conversation that will discuss the obvious (and perhaps less obvious) moments that have shaped the fight for equality for women in Australia and the change yet to happen.

The panel of gender experts - artists, writers and activists from all walks of life - will have an inclusive and meaningful conversation about the moments that have been defining for a diversity of Australian women.

Hear about the power of women to drive momentous change in the world and the key moments over the last half century which have changed the state of play, from workplace reforms in the 1980s to former Prime Minister Julia Gillard's misogyny speech and the MeToo movement in Australia.

The conversation will be guided by legal academic and women's rights activist, Ramona Vijeyarasa, joined by Mi-kaisha Masella, Catherine Fox, Michelle Higelin and April Helene-Horton (aka The Bodzilla).

Join us in-person at Darling Square Library or live online via Zoom.

Bios:

Ramona Vijeyarasa

Associate Professor of Law at UTS, Ramona designed the award-winning Gender Legislative Index, a tool using human evaluators and machine-learning to assess how well laws work for women. Ramona's decade working in civil society and legal activism has seen her advance anti-trafficking victim reintegration networks in Vietnam and Ukraine, file briefs before the European Court of Human Rights, Supreme Court of Moldova and Supreme Court of the Philippines, and make submissions to United Nations treaty bodies.

Mi-kaisha Masella

Mi-kaisha is a Darumbal & Tongan singer and songwriter from Bidjigal & Gadigal Country. Currently living in Lenapehoking (NYC), Mi-kaisha studied Fine Arts, Native American & Indigenous Studies at NYU. Mi-kaisha actively supports her communities and works against the systems that have perpetually oppressed Pacific Islanders and First Nations Peoples.

Catherine Fox

Catherine is a leading commentator on women and the workforce, and award-winning journalist, author and presenter. Following a long career with the Financial Review and the publication of five books, she was awarded the 2017 Walkley Award for Women's Leadership in Media and in 2022 was made a member of the Order of Australia. She sits on the Australians Investing in Women board, and co-founded the Sydney Women's Giving Circle.

Michelle Higelin

Michelle is the Executive Director of ActionAid Australia, Vice President of the Australian Council for International Development and Co-Chair of the Australian Civil Society Coalition on Women, Peace and Security. For almost three decades, she has worked to advance gender equality in Australia and overseas and has served on global advisory bodies to the UN around adolescent health, food security and peace-building.

April Helene-Horton (aka The Bodzilla)

April is the passionate body love advocate who's on a mission to change narratives around the 'perfect body'. She's saying a big F YOU to diet culture, self-hate, fatphobia and she implores you to do the same!

We aim to deliver inclusive and accessible events. If you have any particular access or communication needs please contact City of Sydney: 02 9265 9333 Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm or libraryprograms@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.

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