A Keilor Downs woman will be part of a history-making bid for greater gender equality when she joins 24 other delegates in Federal Parliament next month for the first Girls Leadership Summit.
Emmie Shields, 25, will meet Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop on October 1 to deliver a set of recommendations to strengthen women’s rights globally.
“We want to promote young women being in leadership roles and participating in political decision-making, and we want to find ways to empower girls in these roles to feel good and do good in the world,” Ms Shields said.
“We’ll consult with parliamentarians about the issues that face young women in Australia and around the world through our ‘Girls Call to Action’ report.”
Ms Shields said one aim of the 25 female delegates fronting the ‘Because I Am A Girl’ campaign was ensuring all girls get a quality education. “A proper education is the key part.”
Ms Shields, an employment consultant for the Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES), said the biggest problems facing women globally were inadequate education, poverty, gender-based violence and discrimination.
The delegates are being supported by Plan, one of the world’s largest children’s development organisations. October 11 marks the United Nations’ International Day of the Girl.
For more details, visit: www.plan.org.au/Get-Involved/Because-I-am-a-Girl.aspx
