International Women’s Day
Image: Dannielle Miller - CEO, Enlighten Education & Goodfellas.
Image provided.
By Rita Bratovich.
There are women in this world who make a difference without making a fuss; unassuming heroes whose superpowers are resilience, determination, passion and hope. They are women who inspire, bring change and improve lives simply by doing what they are driven to do. March 8 is International Women’s Day (IWD) – it’s one day when the world gives gratitude to women who give 365 days a year.
One such woman is Dannielle Miller, co-founder and CEO of Enlighten Education, an organisation which provides on-site workshops for school girls, addressing issues such as body image, friendship, dating, career choices, empowerment and all the other challenges of teenhood.
A best-selling author, speaker and thought leader, Miller is one of four finalists for the NSW Premier’s Award for Woman Of The Year,
“This International Women’s Day will be really special because… I will be at a big breakfast waiting for the winner to be announced!” says Miller, admitting that she’s thrilled about being nominated. She values awards for the recognition and validation they give.
Miller began her career as an English teacher working with disadvantaged, ‘at risk’ students in Sydney’s west.
“It taught me to be very good in the classroom because if you can’t capture [these kids’] hearts then their minds aren’t going to be with you either.”
Her interest in student welfare spurred her to design youth mentoring programs and curriculum initiatives, and her enterprising nature led her to undertake an MBA during which time she conceived the concept which would ultimately become Enlighten Education.
That was 12 years ago and since then Enlighten Education has worked with more than 200,000 girls across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia. Miller has also published five books, initiated projects around youth care and domestic violence, and become a highly respected commentator on issues relating to teen girls and boys. Passion is what gives her that endless drive.
“I really love what I do a lot – I know that sounds like a cliche, but it really is who I am.”
As well as the work she does with girls, Miller has created Goodfellas – a program delivered by male presenters to teenage boys in which they discuss the myths around ‘masculinity’. Miller says there are three myths in particular that seem to draw a strong response from participants: real men don’t cry; boys can’t do anything about domestic violence; boys are not concerned with body image. Goodfellas is another example of Miller’s intuitive ability to identify a need and find a solution. She has an irrepressible spirit.
“When you love what you do and you’re really involved in it and you listen to young people and you listen to how the issues change, you never stay stagnant for too long…and for me at a personal level I can’t see me wanting to back down anytime soon.”
For the past 20 years, Bronwyn Kidd has been the Director of Flickerfest, helping create what is globally recognised as Australia’s leading competitive short film festival.
“I certainly didn’t think I’d be doing it for 20 years when I started, but here I am,” says Kidd, a filmmaker herself and avid supporter of the industry. “We’re a small team, a small arts festival, but we’ve got a big foot print.”
Kidd sources short films from around the world to ensure a consistently high standard and eclectic range. She wants Flickerfest to be a platform for emerging talent and a space that allows diverse voices to be heard. In the last festival, forty percent of the directors were female – well above the industry average.
“Being a female director myself, I’m aware of female stories and I’m looking out for female directors – I know it’s hard to get a foot up in the industry,” says Kidd. However, she believes there has been an uptick in girls entering the field:
“In all technical aspects and post-production – I think certainly for women the growth in that area has been quite remarkable over the last 10 years.”
The festival program is broadly inclusive, with films from or about people with non-English speaking backgrounds, disabled people, the LGBTQI community and indigenous people.
“I want Flickerfest to always be a place where we are reflecting a diversity of voices, not just the monoculture, not just the white male view of the world,” explains Kidd.
Bondi Pavilion is home base, but the festival also tours 60 venues around Australia, including regional areas, promoting appreciation for the arts and multi-culture.
And what does the future hold for Kidd?
“I hope to continue to do Flickerfest for many years to come…it’s something I’m really committed to and you couldn’t really run a festival like this unless you were committed.”
Sister Jan Barnett is the Justice Coordinator of the Sisters Of St Joseph. She manages a network of Josephite women around Australia and in New Zealand, Ireland, Peru and East Timor, who are fighting for humanitarian rights on behalf of the citizens.
After an early career as an English teacher and high school principal, Barnett completed a Doctorate in Leadership In A Time Of Critical Change.
“Out of that I think I developed a greater passion for justice and doing something about the injustice in our world,” she says. She feels blessed to have been offered the role of Justice Coordinator, which has afforded “huge opportunities” to speak and act on justice issues. At the same time, however, it can be very demoralising.
“I think of all the stuff we’ve done around the Uluru Statement… around asylum seekers and refugees and the situation on Naru and Manus …and around the environment – and nothing’s changed,” Barnett laments, then adds somewhat optimistically “But…you have to keep hope alive.”
Barnett is also part of the Love Makes A Way movement, a Christian based collective lobbying for the release of children in detention. In 2014, she was among several people arrested for holding a prayer vigil in Joe Hockey’s office.
Where she finds herself most in conflict with the official Church narrative is in her strong feminist stance. An active member of Women And The Australian Church (WATAC), Barnett believes in “challenging our church to really focus on areas of injustice and the need for equality for all people in our church including women.”
WATAC advocates for the ordination of women and recognition of married priests.
“I can live comfortably disagreeing with what the official church stands for but still believing in the Gospel and still pushing that as strongly as I can, because I think the Gospel is about justice, Gospel is about reaching out to those who are most vulnerable,” says Barnett.
And her message for International Women’s Day:
“I would encourage all young women to recognise that they have an opportunity to change our world and make it a better place for all of us… I think the power of women is far more than we recognise or acknowledge and that in the hands of women is held the future of our world.”
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