International Women’s Day 2020

Today we especially want to recognise women who have worked tirelessly on our bushfire response.

In evacuation centres you provided comfort to people who had lost everything. You worked to get grants to people who needed them. You drove out to people’s homes and visited communities to understand their needs. You sorted care-packages and gave out Trauma Teddies. You organised for water and food to be delivered. You worked in the emergency operations centres and Red Cross offices all across the country managing people and logistics. And you will be there with communities every step of their recovery journeys.

Women have always been at the front and centre of our work and we stand with you.

Learn more about the incredible women supporting people and communities as they recover from the Black Summer bushfires.

While we’re celebrating the achievements of women today, we’re also looking to tomorrow, and understanding how Red Cross can do better.

Internationally, Red Cross and Red Crescents societies have not seen as many women leaders as we have men – despite women being the backbone of our organisation. Our president spoke at the international conference of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies last year to a proposal to improve the representation of women in the international movement. The successful proposal supports growing and building the skills of women leaders, as well as supporting more women to be elected to positions of leadership within the movement.

In Australia we have a good record of female leadership but we also have work to do, to continue to explore how gender inequality intersects with other forms of discrimination. This is especially important as we look to continue our work with asylum seekers and migrants in transition and to walk alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We need to ensure our storytelling is more reflective of the diversities among our inspiring female staff, members and volunteers.

Equality on all levels for women who are part of these communities is vital to achieving better outcomes for everyone.

Today we celebrate; tomorrow and every other day of the year we work to achieve equality for all women.

Happy International Women’s Day!