EQUALITY advocates for the region say diversity comes in many layers. They aim to help individuals and organisations think outside traditional portrayals - especially in work to empower women.
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Members in the Women's Health Grampians-led Equality for All project will take up their first speaking engagement on the eve of International Women's Day.
They will share their stories to both help break barriers and promote celebration of diversity to launch a series of WHG postcards that give voice to culturally diverse women across the region.
Equality advocate Joy Juma, who hails from Kenya, said there were many forms of discrimination and often this stemmed from seemingly benign assumptions. This could be in asking her to help speak with another African woman because it was thought they spoke the same language.
"The main reason I am part of this program is to see how I can help and empower women find their place in society and advocate for organisations to be more inclusive," Ms Juma said.
Equality for All focus is not just highlighting discrimination but drawing attention to visibility. This is about celebrating the strengths of a diverse range of women and inspiring courage for women to be their true selves without the need to be consumed with how they might be judged for the way they look, how they are dressed or how they are expected to act..
Advocates will share hopes for the year ahead in launching the postcards, which feature in BEYOND 50% Art against Gender-Based Violence exhibition at Backspace Gallery.
WHG chief Marianne Hendron said the two projects fit together well. The postcards build on women presented in multicultural cookbook It Takes Courage. Postcard images will be made into a quilt.
The advocates program, funded for 12 months, would offer a range of speakers to share their experience and, learning from each other, to speak on broader equality issues in the Grampians region.
If organisatons are serious in learning about being more inclusive, this is a great tool to promote leadership or indeed help women have a more visible presence.
- Marianne Hendron, Women's Health Grampians chief executive officer
"What we would love to see is for the program to be recognised beyond the project term," Ms Hendron said.
BEYOND 50% launches at Backspace Gallery on Thursday, 4-5pm.
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