This year International Women’s Day (IWD) asked us to be bold for change, but are we? They encouraged us to call on the communities we operate in or just on ourselves to forge a better, more inclusive, gender equal world.

Did you know?

According to World Economic Forum the gender gap won’t close until 2186! That is three generations of women, of intelligent, imaginative, and bold women who have to break through that glass ceiling for the next 169 years. We think that is too long!

Who are we? And what are we doing about it?

Here at CareSouth we are committed to being bold and beautiful! One of our core values is inclusion and it is these words that give our organisation a personality and something to stand for. We are a learning organisation that values diversity and equality in not just our workforce but the people we work with, in our communities as we strive to make a difference every day.

Vulnerable children in your area need both women and men in their lives to make a positive impact, and shape their future. Families come in all shapes and sizes and it is important to encourage a diverse support network to develop each young person. We are very proud of many bold women in our organisation which have been working on pilot programs to help nurture and positively engage our young people.

Homework Hub – The Homework Hub runs every Tuesday afternoon in our Berkeley office driven by Danielle, one of our bold women and provides students from CareSouth’s Out-Of-Home Care, Brighter Futures, Aunties & Uncles and Residential Care programs with a safe space to get help with their homework. The Homework Hub also gives students, who range in age from 5 to 18, the opportunity to meet and develop friendships with others on a similar path to their own. To read more,

http://www.caresouth.org.au/blog/76-homework-hub-mixing-study-with-play

5S – 66 students came together for a water safety awareness program at Port Kembla Beach and McKeon’s swim school over the October 2016 holidays. The three-day program, coordinated by another of CareSouth’s bold women Vickie Blackwell, was designed for students who have had limited exposure to swimming and surf safety due to cultural, economic or family barriers. To read more,

http://www.caresouth.org.au/blog/75-community-comes-together-to-teach-kids-surf-swim-safety

So if you are inspired by our bold and beautiful women please go out and,

– Challenge bias and inequality
– Campaign against violence
– Forge women’s advancement
– Celebrate women’s achievement
– Champion women’s education

Submit your own #BeBoldForChange action via the IWD website, https://www.internationalwomensday.com/BeBold