International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day is an opportunity for all of us to thank the women in our lives.

Whether they be our mothers, sisters, friends, partners or teachers. Each and every one of us have women in our lives who have contributed a great deal to our personal growth and development, and they must not be taken for granted.

Yes, we go to an all-boys’ school, but that does not take away from the fact that none of us would be where we are today without the unconditional support and encouragement, and the occasional kicking back into line, from the women in our lives.

However, not only is today an opportunity to thank these women, but also an opportunity to think about the way we act towards and talk about women.

To think about the fact that no matter their sexual preference, gender identity, culture, or race, we are all equal and we should all be treated with the utmost respect. And yes, this applies to every person we all meet too.

Over the years, Brighton Grammar has focused on encouraging us to contemplate what type of adult we want to become and what we want our lives to look like. So, I invite you all to take a moment today, to think about what type of person you want to be, and what benchmark you want to set for yourself on how you treat people.

As how you treat people is the way they will treat you back. Good treatment of others leads to better quality relationships. Not only romantic relationships, but also those that you have with your family, teachers and friends.

This not only helps you lead a more positive life but can also help positively affect those around you.

As much as International Women’s Day is a day of celebration, it is also a day to recognise the strides women in history have made in enhancing equality and peace for women all over the world.

This morning, James and I, as well as some of our teachers attended an International Women’s Day breakfast. The keynote speaker, Natalie Charles, Principal of Mentone Girls’ Grammar, shared with us her experiences of being a female teacher at a single sex boys school, a co-ed school and a single sex girls’ school.

She emphasised the fact that teachers, and in this case female teachers, shape the people we grow up to be, and I think we all have many teachers in this room today who we can thank for influencing us and helping us flourish into the young adults we are.

Lachy Liberman
Prefect

Pictured: From left, Prefect Lachy Liberman and School Captain James Clarkson.