International Women's Day: Inspire Inclusion

March 8, 2024, is International Women's Day with the theme 'Invest in women: Accelerate progress'. Last week there was a lot of mainstream press in Australia focussing on the WGEA report outlining issues pertaining to the gender equity pay gap and associated issues.

The UN International Women's Day site sums up the importance of focussing on this day with the following significant reflection.

'In a world facing multiple crises that are putting immense pressure on communities, achieving gender equality is more vital than ever. Ensuring women's and girls' rights across all aspects of life is the only way to secure prosperous and just economies and a healthy planet for future generations.'

As a single-gender boys' school, it is even more important that we recognise the part we must play in the education of young boys and men to understand the importance of gender equality. Quite often public commentators target schools such as ours with broad-based assumptions that single-gender boys' schools fail to focus on such matters, and by the very nature of our enrolment profile, we must be unable to fully comprehend the significance of gender issues.  Even more insulting is an assumption that we work against the matter by failing to educate our boys adequately about why gender equality matters in a progressive society.

This could not be further from the truth. Gender equity is a societal challenge and one with which we all have a part to play. Some public commentators forget that our boys have mothers, sisters, grandmothers, and partners whom they have deep affection for and love intensely. I am confident that our boys are cognisant that their loved ones, and all women, not only deserve to be treated with equality but demand it as part of a progressive society. More importantly, they understand that they are very much a part of the solution, not the problem.

This matter is something that is very important to me as the leader of the Scotch community. It has always been important for me as a person who has sought fairness and equality for all and, as the dad of a daughter whom I wanted to grow up with equal opportunities.

Professionally speaking I owe a lot to 5 women. Three of the most outstanding leaders for whom I have worked are females.  Significantly, they took a risk on appointing me to, and supporting me through, senior roles thus providing me with career opportunities that I would never have been afforded by male counterpoints. The other two significant contributors are my own mum who provided me with love, support, and encouragement to pursue my chosen career, and finally, my partner in life, whose professional, academic, and personal skills far outstrip the person writing this article, but who chose to selflessly commit to our family which in turn allowed me to pursue the career opportunities which came my way.

In January 2023, I was invited to address a London conference on the topic of how we address the issue of consent and respect from the position of an all-boys school. This invite stemmed from a speech I gave at an assembly in March 2021 on this very topic, a speech which at the time, was picked up by the WA press. We will always look to forward the importance of gender equality and the role played by so many of the outstanding female staff who make significant contributions each day for and on behalf of our students and their families.

While having a day to focus on and celebrate International Women's Day is important, the topic must be addressed via ongoing dialogue education and action. It is a matter schools such as ours must ensure it is at the forefront of our thinking, teaching, and all that we do in the context of a single-gender school for boys. There is still much to do, and we must continue to work towards achieving a just and vibrant society based on genuine equality.

Dr A J O'Connell
Headmaster

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Respect and consent are not negotiable

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