The ACT girls taking over, with 24 participants of the Girls Run the World program set to โtake overโ 12 embassies across Canberra on Wednesday 24 October.
First year university students and co-chairs of Girls Run the World, Asha Clementi, co-founder of the Girls Leadership Network, and Imogen Brewer-De Nicola, say the program is about giving women opportunities in the space of diplomacy and international relations.
โItโs so hard to get into these spaces; giving them the opportunity is so important especially for young women,โ Ms Clementi says.
โThe diplomatic community is so incredibly diverse โฆ thereโs a place for everybody in this space.โ
After participating in similar activities before, Ms Clementi and Ms Brewer-De Nicola put together a team of five to give more people the same opportunity.
Women aged 18-22 were invited to apply for the program, with 24 selected to attend 12 embassies for the day. During the day, the participants will be immersed in embassy life.
โEach girl going into the embassy is going to get a chance to see what that embassy is like in Australia,โ Ms Clementi says.
โWe want them to have actual skillsโฆ not [have this be] tokenistic,โ adds Ms Brewer-De Nicola.
Whilst the schedule for each venue will vary, it is expected that participants will get to experience life at the embassy through a range of activities such as touring the embassies, engaging with key areas and employees, shadowing employees and social media. Participants are encouraged to think about issues affecting women and girls in Australia, and the role of an ambassador. Participants attended a training day over the weekend where representatives from the Canadian High Commission ran a session on diplomacy.
โThe participants need to prepare a goal for what they want to achieve on the day โฆ they need to take it into their own hands.โ
Girls arenโt just taking over embassies, either. Last week, gender equality organisation Jasiri ran a โtake overโ of the ACT Legislative Assembly, where 19 young women โtook overโ the office of an elected official, coinciding with the International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October.
โIt is so critical that our parliament reflects us as both Canberrans and Australians and weโd love to see more young women representing our voices,โ said Jasiri co-founder, Ashleigh Streeter-Jones.
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