On International Women’s Day (IWD) 2013, we launched Here She Is, a directory of women and non-binary people, created to break down the barriers to equal representation by amplifying the voices of our wider community.

Eight years on, Here She Is has greatly contributed to change in the diversity of panels. To this day, we are contacted regularly by event organisers seeking speakers, and receive warm testimonials after events. Through the directory, we’ve profiled the talents of women entrepreneurs and tech innovators at networking events with partner organisations like General Assembly and others. And we now host over 700 unique professionals from a wide range of fields.

However, the representation of diverse voices in our public discourse is still unequal. Comments made by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on International Women’s Day 2019, shows just how far we have to go as a society: “We want to see women rise. But we don’t want to see women rise only on the basis of others doing worse.”

The United Nations IWD theme for 2021 is ‘Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world’, and in their words “Women leaders and women’s organisations have demonstrated their skills, knowledge and networks to effectively lead in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. Today there is more acceptance than ever before that women bring different experiences, perspectives and skills to the table..”

What better way to challenge the patriarchy and celebrate women in leadership this International Women’s Day, than by joining Here She Is. 

Here She Is categorises speakers and leaders based on specialty areas, making it easy for anyone to find a professional that suits their needs. The directory hosts comedians, politicians, piano teachers, artists, writers, campaigners — the list goes on!

The directory not only serves as a platform for people to reach out to speakers, it’s also a great place to network, find like-minded feminists and mentors.

Why not make joining Here She Is your IWD goal for 2021? Add your profile today or encourage a feminist in your life to take the plunge.

Esther is a Project Officer at the Victorian Women’s Trust. A graduate of Women’s Studies from Monash University, Esther applies her knowledge to real life outcomes for women and girls.