08 March 2017- International Women’s Day is a day that celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women global. This year’s theme is #BeBoldForChange. International Women’s Day is also a call to accelerate gender equality, with a more gender inclusive world, a world that goes beyond mere words for change but taking ground-breaking actions that truly drives the greatest change for women’[1].
This year, The Council of Australia Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) supports the campaign to #BeBoldForChange, in the area of violence against women, one of the many categories that people can #BeBoldForChange. We will educate young women about positive relationships, challenge those who justify perpetrators and blame victims, speak out against the silence of violence, campaign for the prevention of violence and abstain from all violence, physical and otherwise and stress the need for mandatory sexual consent awareness and training on our university campuses.
This day and beyond should call for a stringent and strategic approach to make our campuses safe for women. It calls for a spirit of collective responsibility into offering mandatory training for women, men and non-binary members of the educational community”- Lola Ayeni CAPA Media Officer
‘When students who are victims of sexual assault on campuses are silenced or perpetrators actions not reprimanded, we tend to assume that gives a go ahead for continuity’.
‘Women should be bold enough to report cases of abuse without fear of being suppressed, ignored or dismissed. We will continue to advocate for the safety of women on and around our campuses until universities take up measures that encourage unbiased reporting mechanisms and provide support services for women’.
As today is marked Internationally, women should feel safe in the community they consider as an institution for learning to develop the potential they need to succeed.
How will you #BeBoldForChange? see how you can #BeBoldForChange here https://www.internationalwomensday.com/BeBold
For Comment
Lola Ayeni – Media Officer media@capa.edu.au
[1] International Women’s Day, 2017 https://www.internationalwomensday.com
