Jo Briskey (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Friday I had the honour of hosting a room filled with bright and formidable young women who will lead our community into the future. My inaugural International Women's Day Young Leaders Breakfast brought together students and teachers from across my community to reflect on what it means to balance the scales. We were joined by three extraordinary women who have spent their careers doing exactly that, breaking glass ceilings and reclaiming space in traditionally male-dominated industries. I want to thank Bonnie Toogood and Steph Wales from the Essendon Football Club's AFLW team and the Hon. Jill Hennessy, former Victorian attorney-general and minister for health. We had a refreshingly open and practical discussion. We spoke about the advice we wished we had received when we were 17, the resilience required to thrive where you aren't always expected to and the importance of women supporting women. It was fantastic to see such strong representation from Kensington Community High School, Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School, Mount Alexander College and Rosehill Secondary College. The energy these students brought to the room was infectious. To all the students who attended: your conversations were sharp, your passion for equity was clear and your leadership is already making a mark.

Finally, my big thanks to Jill and the team at Windy Hill for their warm hospitality and for providing a perfect backdrop for such an inspiring morning. These young women aren't just future leaders; they are leading our schools and suburbs right now. My job and our job in this place is to make sure we're clearing the hurdles out of their way so they can get on with it.