Balance for better

Weekender

By JILL MIRR
DWU Communication Arts student

INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8.
According to the IWD website, “The first International Women’s Day occurred in 1911, supported by over one million people.
“International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women – while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender balance with the team for 2019, Balance for Better.
At the Divine Word University’s Madang campus, IWD is observed annually through activities led by female students with the assistance of the student representative council (SRC). The DWU students localise it by marking the IWD on a selected Saturday evening in March and call it the International Women’s Night (IWN) so to give students, staff and the university community the opportunity to celebrate the occasion as a weekend event.
Over the years the IWN has become a must-see annual event on the campus social calendar for the students and staff and their families. The main venue, the SVD Memorial Auditorium is always full to capacity when the IWN is on.
The female students, as future professionals, have rarely disappointed in their many creative activities including putting on sparkling outfits, a fashion parade, dances, singing, short plays, thematic speeches and so forth.
This year’s IWD was no exception with these events coming on again. Staff from different nationalities also gave inspirational speeches about how they used to celebrate the IWD in their home countries.
The female students with assistance from the SRC hosted the IWD celebration on the evening of Saturday, March 30 in Madang.
Again the female students with the help of their male colleagues did not disappoint the public with their creative outfits, dances, singing, plays and speeches and all.
The very creative Communication Arts Year Two students also hosted a photo booth and took memorable photographs of the sparklingly dressed female students and their male companions as mementos for the 2019 International Women’s Night.
A DWU alumnus Peter Nasale who spoke on the night candidly summarised the need to appreciate and celebrate women.
“Women are strong, gorgeous, kind, courageous, hardworking, beautiful, and independent. Appreciate them because they are everything.”
He added “we are privileged to be in an institution headed by a female (President Professor Cecilia Nembou).”
Throughout the fun-filled night the overriding message was that in all aspects of life gender equality should be promoted, gender-balance in government, a gender-balance of employees, and allowing women to participate equally in all levels and sectors of work and life.
One way or the other this can help in achieving the theme for this year. For living in a balanced society will contribute towards its betterment.