The recent Class of 2023 Valedictory Dinner was a celebration of all that is great about St Catherine’s. The event marked the culmination of our Year 12 students’ journeys through St Catherine’s just prior to sitting their final VCE exams which are currently being undertaken.   

What struck me most about the Valedictory Dinner, in a room full of students, parents, and teachers, was the unbridled enthusiasm for life our Year 12 girls have. There was also an enormous amount of ‘love’ in the room. You could see how proud all the parents were watching their now grown-up daughters, a significant number of whom had commenced at St Catherine’s in either Barbreck or the Early Learning Centre, celebration the conclusion of their school journey.   

As well as jubilation and excitement for the future, there was also a sense of melancholy for the girls given the evening was most probably the last time they would all be together as a Cohort. The night was a significant rite of passage for everyone in attendance.    

The evening made me think about what characterises St Catherine’s School and the values we hold close to our hearts. Kindness, respect, empathy, and generosity are a few of the values which come to mind.  

St Catherine’s girls attend a school where each member of our community is valued. Our girls have abundant opportunities to thrive and embrace the future. 

Sadly, this is not the case everywhere in the world. Recently, the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security published the fourth edition of the Women, Peace, and Security Index. This Index ranks and scores 177 countries on women’s status. The WPS Index distils performance across 13 indicators into a single comparable measure across countries. It stands alone in considering diverse pil­lars of women’s status—ranging from economic participation, to health, to risks of violence. For example, it brings together education and perceptions of safety, parliamentary representation and maternal mortality, and legal protection and proximity to armed conflict. 

The WPS Index reveals glaring disparities around the world. All countries on the index have room for improvement, and many perform considerably better or worse on some indicators of women’s status than on others.  

Australia ranks consistently high in all categories with high access to education, financial inclusion, employment, mobile phone usage, and parliamentary inclusion for women. The WPS Index highlights how fortunate we are in Australia and that access to a school such as St Catherine’s is a relative rarity when you consider the experiences of many women and girls around the world. 

At St Catherine’s School we challenge our girls to be advocates for all women. We challenge them to use their voices, their education, their opportunities and their platforms to champion for the rights of all girls and women, particularly those that do not live in a country like Australia. 

Our graduating Class of 2023 all have bright futures ahead of them. They have all had access to an education which is outstanding, and a safe and inclusive school that has nurtured each of them. We look forward to witnessing the great work they will undertake as St Catherine’s women in the world.