Last Thursday 27 April, our Year 12 Global Politics students facilitated a Women in Leadership Forum at St Catherine’s School. 

Initiated by the Federal Member for Higgins, Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah (ALP), Dr Ananda-Rajah brought together two other Federal Members of Parliament, Mrs Bridget Archer, Federal Member for Bass, Tasmania (Liberal Party) and Ms Zoe Daniels, Federal Member for Goldstein (Independent), as well as Stonnington Council Mayor, Cr Jami Klisaris to discuss their experiences and observations as successful women in previous careers and their move into political representation. 

The Forum was attended by students from St Catherine’s, as well as neighbouring schools, our Principal, Ms Michelle Carroll, and St Catherine’s parents and community members from the Higgins Electorate.  

St Catherine’s Global Politics students hosted a Women in Leadership Forum last week.

St Catherine’s Co-Captain, Ava Colosimo welcomed the panel of women leaders with a speech on the importance of women as leaders. Other members of the VCE Global Politics class, Georgina Moreton, Kaitlin Chan, Anise Imam, Jemima Wilcox and Agnes Winzar-Sdraulig facilitated the discussion between the panellists and audience members.  

The questions from students and the wider audience elicited highly engaging responses, including commentary on the way in which women lead in the parliamentary process in Canberra, manage social and gendered expectations as politicians and in careers prior to politics and importantly on how they are part of leading change at both small and large institutional levels.  

The panellists shared how working together, women across the political divide were responsible for reforming some of the parliamentary practice in the new Parliament, to reduce the long and problematic hours of debate and voting that characterised previous parliaments. One of the themes of the responses from all the panellists was the importance for young women to tolerate the feelings of discomfort in stepping into new challenges, including new spaces of work and leadership, as a necessary part of bringing about the change they want to achieve. 

One of the most important messages to come out of the Forum was how the growing visibility of women in political leadership, particularly since the 2022 Federal Election of the Commonwealth Parliament and the Government, is contributing to a change in Australian politics. The greater the number of women who are active in politics will by their presence, increase the future opportunities for women and perhaps consign to the past, gendered questions about women and leadership. 

Our students left the Forum feeling inspired by the experiences and advice from the panellists to continue to pursue their own leadership ambitions.