STEPS Education & Training Palmerston celebrated International Women’s Day 2020 with a Cultural Celebration and Lunch at the Palmerston Recreation Centre on Tuesday, as part of a week-long collective celebration in partnership with the City of Palmerston Council to celebrate women and the local community.
International Women’s Day (officially on March 8) provides an important opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements while calling for greater gender equality.
The event was a huge success with more 140 attendees. It featured insightful presentations from guest speakers, NT Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Sally Sievers and Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council Inc (NTAHC) executive director Genevieve Dally around opportunities and supports available to Northern Territory women, with a focus on services for vulnerable communities.
Dance performances, sewing displays and a lunch of multi-cultural dishes from the countries of origins from STEPS’ students followed to further celebrate diversity
STEPS’ International Women’s Day event initiative is also about having fun, connecting women through social activities to form bonds and friendships.
STEPS Palmerston business manager Yvonne Coleman said their work focusses on capacity building, social connection and engagement, through education and training programs such as the Adult Migrant English Program and the Skills for Education & Employment program.
“Our students are very excited about today, they have been busy practising their dance routines and are having a great time at the same time,” Yvonne said.
“Working together with such wonderful organisations for a collective celebration is a real coup, we are honoured to have the City of Palmerston mayor Athina Pascoe-Bell, NT anti-discrimination Commissioner, Sally Sievers, as well as representatives from the Melaleuca Refugee Centre, Centrelink Multicultural Service, NTAHC and employment service providers all coming to join us.
“Many women can feel quite isolated when they first arrive to Australia, by building social connections with other women through community activities, it helps them to settle better and happier into their new lives in Australia.
“Through these connections not only do the women excel, but their families also have the opportunity to benefit, as does the whole community.”
Yvonne believes the event is a great way to connect the work of STEPS to the mission of International Women’s Day – celebrating social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
“We are showcasing some sewing work the students have done, which is upskilling women for potential employment opportunities in the future, and very importantly they are becoming engaged in social activities,” she said.
“There’s speeches to highlight and celebrate the achievements of women as well as fabulous dancing, lunch, sewing displays and lots of fun.”
The event was a huge success thanks to the collaborative efforts of many community organisations including Genevieve Dally and event MC Maria Scarlett from the NTAHC.
For more information about STEPS Palmerston and the courses on offer contact 1300 585 868
The Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) is funded by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs.
The Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment
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