Our Headmaster’s Assembly marking International Women’s Day welcomed guest speaker Ms Marina Ugonotti, Principal of Loreto Normanhurst. Ms Ugonotti addressed the United Nations’ theme for 2024, “Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress”, which aims to tackle economic disempowerment.
Headmaster Mr Michael Blake underlined the importance of recognising the achievements of women and striving for equality as part of our intrinsic values. “While a drive to equality should permeate all that you do, it is important that we have days like International Women’s Day to sharpen our focus, to bring us great examples of what we can do further,” said Mr Blake.
“Gender equality is not a man’s issue for women to fix; it is not a women’s issue for men to fix; it is a human rights issue, a justice issue,” stated Ms Ugonotti.
Addressing the young men of St Joseph’s, Ms Ugonotti presented a compelling narrative interwoven with personal stories and broader reflections on gender equality. Raised in Wollongong as the daughter of Italian immigrants, her address explored her path from studying arts law, driven by a desire to combat injustice, to ultimately finding her vocation in education. She revealed how her experience with “the darkness of humanity, the impact of structures and systems that seemed to institutionalise disadvantage” through her legal work led her to a revelation that education, especially of women, was key to breaking cycles of poverty and injustice.
Ms Ugonotti urged Joeys boys to contemplate their values, influences and the messages they’ve absorbed, emphasising the shared characteristics between St Joseph’s College and Loreto Normanhurst. “We all have a sphere of influence … consider how you and your words and actions can influence in a way that raises women up and promotes equality,” said Ms Ugonotti.
Be champions for women
Ms Ugonotti called upon the young men of Joeys to be champions for women, to celebrate their achievements and to confront the structures that perpetuate inequality. By doing so, they can foster a more inclusive society. “Individually, we all face many daily moments where we can choose to accept or reject an opportunity to challenge those who seek to silence a woman’s voice or perspective,” she stated.
Ms Ugonotti left the young men of Joeys with a powerful call to action: to be steadfast in their values and to let their words and actions reflect their commitment to equality. She encouraged them to use their unique Marist education to view the world through a lens that respects and elevates the feminine, in the way of Mary.
“You are called to use Mary as your model of grace, of trust, of tenderness, of humility and great selfless love … so know what you stand for and do not waver … this is how others will know that you are indeed a Joeys man; by having the courage to stand up and speak for what you know is right; by having relationships that are grounded in goodness and kindness.
“And ultimately, by having the humility that comes with knowing that all of us have a lot to learn from those whose life experiences are different from our own,” she concluded.
Performances and awards
The Assembly also included contributions from other speakers and performances that reflected the day’s themes. Jonathan P (Y12) reinforced collective responsibility in promoting gender parity: “Everyone can play a part in pressing for gender parity … here at Joeys as a community of young men, we have a responsibility to play our part, not only in our current world, but also as we head off into the big world beyond the gates.”
As a Marist community there can be no better woman to focus our thoughts and prayers on than Mary, a gentle woman who displayed the most incredible courage when faced with the ultimate challenge of giving birth to the Son of God, a woman who displayed amazing strength and complete faith.
The College Choir performed the “Maranoa Lullaby”, which is one of several songs recorded by Harold Blair, the first Aboriginal to achieve recognition as a classical singer. This was followed with a short explanation from Ethel Munn, a Gunggari woman from southwest Queensland, who explained the lullaby’s meaning about an Aboriginal woman rocking her baby in a cradle of bark. Click here to watch.
In introducing the Academic Engagement Award recipients for Term 4 2023, Mr Matthew Bookallil, Director of Teaching and Learning, inspired the boys with quotes from Professor Michelle Simmons, a leader in quantum computing. These included, “Don’t live up to someone else’s expectations, live up to your own”, and “Nearly all the things that are worthwhile in life, are actually quite hard to do”, to encourage all Joeys boys to keep working hard and to stay motivated.
Mr Simon Pennington, Director of Co-curricular, presented awards for a number of significant sporting achievements in tennis, cricket and swimming:
- Max C (Y11): 1st XI cricket: 5/16 (6.3 overs) against Sydney Boys High School
- Patrick N (Y11): 4th XI cricket: 53 runs in a 132 run partnership with Hugh B against The King’s School
- Hugh B(Y11): 4th XI cricket: 70 runs in a 132 run partnership with Patrick N against The King’s School
- William B (Y11): 4th XI cricket: 3/1 off 1 over against The King’s School
- Angus C(Y12): 1st XI cricket: selected in the GPS and CIS cricket teams for 2024
- Zachary H(Y10): selected in U15 Chairman’s XI cricket team for 2024
- Frederick B(Y9): selected in U15 Chairman’s XI cricket team for 2024
- Cooper P(Y12): swimming: set new GPS senior division swimming records in both the 100m backstroke and the 400m individual medley
- Hayden C(Y12): 1st tennis: selected in the CIS tennis team for 2024 and finished as the top ranked player in the CIS competition
The Assembly concluded with an emotive performance by Risheet M (Y9), who took to the stage to sing “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” from Les Misérables – his voice, rich with feeling, created a deep sense of connection and reflection.
Ms Ugonotti’s speech on International Women’s Day serves as a poignant reminder of the role each individual plays in shaping a world where equality is not just an ideal, but a reality we should strive for every day.
