Every year, March is designated Women's History Month. International Women's Day on 8 March is a highlight. This year's theme for the month is Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. The theme recognises women throughout the country who understand that, for a positive future, we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions. For me, this month has been marked by many visits to schools, community groups and cultural events in Liverpool to celebrate and mark this important occasion. These events have been opportunities to connect with women and girls in my community, share stories and hear about the issues of interest and concern to them.
By far the most interesting conversations have been those that have highlighted the many women—the giants—on whose shoulders we stand and progress from. Recently I attended a school leadership event at Bonnyrigg High School. For the first time ever, the student leadership team of Bonnyrigg High School is entirely made up of young women. They were elected by their peers within the student body. For International Women's Day, that group of inspiring young women took it upon themselves to organise a leadership training and engagement event with young student leaders from approximately five feeder primary schools in the region. Local leaders provided their insights and experience and shared their journeys, including Federal member for Fowler Dai Le, the acting principal of the school and me.
The visitors shared their stories about the women who have inspired their journeys and who have enabled them to take the steps they need to take. Another event in my local community, which was incredibly fulfilling and inspiring to be part of, was held by Liverpool Neighbourhood Connections. The organisation brought together women from across our community and ensured that it was a family friendly event, so that no woman was excluded, and shared the history of International Women's Day and the reasons why it is still relevant and important today. Finally, just last week the Liverpool Women's Health Centre also held an event to mark International Women's Day. I take particular note of the centre as it approaches its fiftieth anniversary of providing services for women in our community.
The Liverpool Women's Health Centre is the second women's health centre to open in New South Wales after the Marrickville centre and has consistently provided services since 1975. Importantly, it was the first women's service to employ Aboriginal women, which was a milestone considering that Indigenous people were only given the right to vote in Australia in 1962. In the lead‑up to its fiftieth anniversary, I have been in discussions with the Liverpool Women's Health Centre to ensure that we bring to light the history of this incredible place, its various achievements and how it has improved the lives of women in our community over the past 50 years and will, hopefully, continue to do so in the coming years. We must not forget the feminist collective that began the Liverpool Women's Health Centre, ably led by Kay Ferrington in the mid-1970s. Women like Kay are role models for people like me who stand on their shoulders as we strive to make our communities better places.
Speaking of role models, before I conclude my speech, I will share a little bit about one of mine. My family comes from a small region on the border of the States of Kerala and Karnataka. It is a region famous for growing coffee, for being the place where a river originates and for producing very fierce women. In that place, a girl of humble origins named Muthamma was born in 1924. Although she lost her father at the age of nine, her mother was determined that her children would be educated. Muthamma excelled in her studies and in 1949 became the first woman in post-independence India to sit for the Civil Services Examination, which she topped to enter the Indian Foreign Service. She later fought a lot of prejudice, sued the Indian Government and became the first woman to become an ambassador for India to Hungary in 1970. Women like her cause us to reflect on their achievements and drive us to greater heights in the future.
