When Judge Caroline Jenkins joined Victoria Police in the late 1980s she, like all new cadets, was issued the standard academy training uniform. However, despite undergoing the same rigorous training as their male counterparts, female cadets faced one glaring difference - they were not issued pants. Instead, they trained in skirts. Imagine running drills, scaling fences, and mastering defensive techniques - all while wearing a skirt.

This personal reflection was one of many stories Judge Jenkins shared with us as the guest speaker for this year’s International Women’s Day Assembly on Monday. Graduating from Ivanhoe Girls’ in 1987, Caroline described her first experience of the ‘real world’ as a stark contrast to the nurturing and equitable household she was raised in; a home where all domestic duties were divided equally among her parents and siblings, regardless of gender, and to her school, where she was in an environment where girls do everything.

Unfortunately, Judge Jenkins experience in the police force is not an isolated event, but rather just one example of the countless challenges women have and continue to face in the fight for equality. Some of these hurdles are systemic: glass ceilings that limit career progression, gender pay gaps that persist across industries, and unconscious biases that shape expectations of what leadership should look like. Others are internalised, the result of societal conditioning: self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or the relentless challenge of balancing multiple roles and responsibilities.

This year’s International Women’s Day campaign theme, ‘Accelerate Action’, is a call to step forward in solidarity, a collective commitment to increasing the momentum in dismantling the barriers that women face. Schools play a vital role in shaping the next generation of leaders, and that means fostering environments where gender equality is not just an aspiration but a lived reality. This means equipping our students with the confidence to challenge bias, the skills to advocate for change, and the opportunities to lead without limitation. It also means examining our own practices - ensuring our curriculum, leadership opportunities, and co-curricular programs empower our students to step forward without obstruction. Our Year Level Liaison Prefects, Emily, Maddie, and Vani have put together a wonderful range of activities that have run during the week to engage our students with the theme of ‘Accelerate Action’.

Progress, Judge Jenkins reminded us, begins with tackling one challenge at a time, applying yourself to the task at hand and with each hurdle overcome, building momentum. Every time a woman breaks through a barrier - whether in education, the workplace, or society - she not only advances herself but clears a path for those who follow. For progress is not just about individual achievement; it is about lifting others along the way.

Ms Narelle Umbers
Principal