FOR International Day of the Girl 2021, FCM Meetings & Events has partnered with Australian charity SolarBuddy and not-for-profit Indigenous education organisation Yalari to champion educational and social change for young women from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds.
Last year, FCM Meetings & Events, in partnership with SolarBuddy, produced the first International Day of the Girl event, ‘It’s Now Girl’, which explored gender inequality, energy poverty, and access to education for young girls.
It raised over $10,000 for SolarBuddy lights, which were donated to disadvantaged communities. Keen to continue this important work, FCM Meetings & Events and SolarBuddy are hosting their second ‘It’s Now Girl – Tomorrow’s Generation, Today’ event on Monday, 11 October 2021.
“As an organisation, we pride ourselves on giving back to the community, and this is an important event that we’re proud to support,” said FCM Meetings & Events General Manager Simone Seiler.
“The facts are astonishing. There are currently 500,000 people in first nation communities across the country without access to a reliable source of energy – a number we want significantly reduced.
“By 2019, 66.5 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women aged 20-24 years had completed Year 12 or its equivalent, compared with 93 per cent of non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in the same age-group.
“Closer to home, Flight Centre Travel Group boasts a workforce that is 71 per cent female, and we’re committed to supporting female development within our organisations and across industries.”
General Manager of SolarBuddy, Billie Murphy, said SolarBuddy’s participation in ‘It’s Now Girl – Tomorrow’s Generation, Today’, was about raising awareness of energy poverty and how the issue was crippling many regional and remote Indigenous communities in Australia.
“Energy poverty poses a serious challenge for young women living in communities that are affected by this issue – from a family, social, safety and educational perspective,” she said.
“I’ve been to remote Indigenous communities that are doing it tougher than villages in third world countries. While many are on the grid and can access power supply, families can’t always afford to have the electricity on. This means no power for cooking, homework for children or safety.
“There are no streetlights in these communities and there are no lights for sporting fields or public spaces for people to congregate at night-time.”
“Since 2005, Yalari has been providing Indigenous children from regional, rural, and remote communities across Australia the opportunity to receive a full boarding school scholarship for their entire secondary education,” said Yalari Fundraising Manager Jenni Heenan.
“We believe education is the key to generational change and a brighter future for Indigenous Australians and for our nation. We’re deeply committed to the ongoing success of our national program of scholarships, student support and post-school opportunities.
“In 2021, we have over 200 students on Yalari scholarships nationally. We have an alumni group of 380 studying at universities, working or undertaking further training.”
The event will take place between 3:00pm and 4:15pm (AEST) on Monday, 11 October 2021. The event is currently virtual, but if COVID-19 restrictions are lifted in Melbourne prior to the event, there may be an opportunity for guests to attend in person.
Tickets for virtual guests are $38.50 (inc. GST). The ticket price for this event will go directly towards SolarBuddy lights that will be distributed to a local Indigenous girl or family in need.
You can register for the event HERE.
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