This International Women's Day: MARCH FORWARD
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 130 No 2, 11 April 2025, page no 17.
Saturday 8 March was International Women’s Day (IWD), a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
The QTU traditionally hosts an IWD event at the Union Reps Conference. This year, members of the Women Teachers and Girls Education Committee (WTGEC) wanted an event that brought energy, positivity, and connection before what would be a huge day of conference speakers and activities.
Hosted by Vice-President Leah Olsson and members of WTGEC, the QTU IWD Breakfast prior to the conference featured Huda Fadlelmawla, an internationally recognised spoken word poet, educator, and activist.
Huda the Goddess (pictured right with Gill and Leah) shared her story, which was a reminder of the power and influence of teachers. Huda, then a young Sudanese refugee girl of 11 years old, described how her life was transformed by her teacher. So much so, she found how to use her voice to share stories in a way that connects people through her own unique artistry.
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Huda’s energy was inspiring. She reminded us of the importance of “being in the room”, and the need to keep turning up, keep representing, keep speaking up, and keep making space for others. With this year’s IWD theme being “March Forward”, Huda’s story was a timely reminder of the power of connection and solidarity in the struggle for progress.
WTGEC, QTU Women’s Contacts and members of QTU Executive continued the IWD celebrations by submitting their “March Forward” photos and videos from around the state. Many of these made their way to our social media channels.
For the QTU, IWD is a day of strength and unity, acknowledgment, and allyship. No matter the theme, we will always celebrate our progress, with our eyes firmly fixed on what we know is still ahead.