Greek students across New South Wales returned to school on Monday with big smiles on their faces as they finally reunited with their friends and had real-life classroom lessons after over four months in lockdown.
Siblings, Natalie and Evan Mihail, from St Spyridon College in Kingsford, Sydney, were two of these students and they tell The Greek Herald they couldn’t wait to get back to school and reconnect with their friends face-to-face rather than simply over Zoom.
“As I entered the school gates I felt a sense of excitement to be reunited with my fellow peers and teachers,” Evan, who is in Year 8, says.
“I looked forward to every lesson and didn’t want the day to end. Being with my friends and teachers made six hours of a school day seem like not enough.”
Evan’s 16-year-old sister, Natalie, who is in Year 11, agreed and says whilst ‘home schooling was really effective’ she missed her social interactions.
“Home schooling was still really good… I found it really easy to communicate with teachers and even with my peers through media,” Natalie says.
“But being back at the College made me appreciate how beautiful our school is and the family orientated community we have.”
Natalie and Evan Mihail from St Spyridon College.
‘The house was quiet’:
It was an entirely different story, with a lot of mixed emotions, for the parents left behind as their children happily re-entered school gates on Monday.
Natalie and Evan’s mum, Gina Mihail, tells The Greek Herald that although she’s pleased they could return to school, she still missed them after spending almost every day with them during home schooling.
“We would go for short walks during break time or have a little bit of a basketball game during their breaks, so I actually really missed that,” Gina explains.
“My husband is working from home as well and my daughter is doing university from home and we felt a bit empty. But no, I’m glad they’re back though. I think it’s good for the children to be back.”
Helen Karavitis feels the same way after she sent her 14-year-old daughter, Karina Giokaris, and 11-year-old son, Vasilis Giokaris, back to All Saints Grammar in Belmore yesterday.
Helen Karavitis’ children, Vasilis and Karina, returned to All Saints Grammar yesterday. Photo supplied.
She says home schooling wasn’t bad as the school was ‘so well-prepared,’ but she’s still glad students are allowed back into the classroom to boost their mental health and encourage ‘a sense of normality.’
“The house was quiet. That’s the biggest thing I noticed. But I was really excited for them and they got up really early to get prepared,” Helen says with a laugh.
“I know it’s a big relief for many to have students back at school.”
Now it’s just a matter of finishing the school year on a positive note, with children leaving school grounds every day with big smiles on their faces and blossoming friendships.
As Australia’s population is ageing older adults of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds feel more socially and emotionally isolated.
Projections for the country suggest that there will be four million people aged between 65–84 years by 2022 and industry experts have raised concerns that a structural reform of aged care is necessary to support the so-called ‘Autumn Sunset’ the country is facing.
A pilot research program between Sydney-based organisations SydWest and Western Sydney University’s Humanitarian and Development Research Initiative (HADRI) explores how societal changes affect CALD older adults and what practices should be adopted to enhance their wellbeing.
The CEO of SydWest Multicultural Services, Elfa Moraitakis; HADRI’s Director, Associate Professor Nichole Georgeou and Humanitarian Engineer Spyros Schismenos sat down with The Greek Herald and discussed the findings of their project and how they can be utilised to improve the lives of Australia’s older citizens.
TGH: What are the objectives of this project?
The project entitled, “Better Elder Care: Culturally appropriate care and service provision for older migrants 65+ in Greater Western Sydney”, explores the effects of activities that promote social connectedness on the cultural wellbeing of older migrants from CALD backgrounds to Greater Western Sydney.
Specifically, it aims to explore the impact of the inclusion of creative expression practices that are culturally and linguistically supportive of older migrants, and opportunities for social participation in cultural practices, on older CALD adults’ cultural wellbeing.
We intend to provide recommendations on the adoption of such practices for the enhanced wellbeing of older CALD background migrants in at-home care packages.
TGH:What are the main challenges older CALD adults face and in what way has the pandemic exacerbated them?
The data collection for this research was conducted after the 2020 lockdown. However, key findings of the research pointed to the significance of ‘vital conjunctions’ in the lives of individuals and communities.
These vital conjunctions are not only between people and communities, but also refer to one’s connection to memories, past histories and future aspirations, spirituality, transitional points throughout their lifetime.
Importantly, these conjunctions play a critical role in the individual and collective agency and decision making; they are facilitative of agency in varying degrees, and yet they can also be restrictive and contain the dimensions of conflict and power.
The participants all highlight how maintaining, transforming, or negotiating their sense of connection – being connected to something bigger than themselves – is crucial to their wellbeing.
COVID-19 exacerbated existing barriers experienced by older CALD adults that affect the capability of older adults to access and engage with the essential support and services that contribute to good outcomes and improved quality of life.
Substantial barriers include a lack of English proficiency, limited digital literacy, lack of networking and socializing, and poor understanding of the Australian ‘way of living’ and sociomedical system. Isolation, including practical, social and emotional, loneliness, depression and stigma are common outcomes when older adults from CALD migrant and refugee backgrounds cannot overcome the aforementioned barriers.
The challenges of ageing and barriers faced by older adults had existed long before the pandemic, however, disaster scenarios such as the global spread of COVID-19 significantly escalated their impacts, and increased mortality rates, depression and suicidal thoughts. Identifying and addressing existing barriers, as well as supporting strategies to minimize them could lead to better elder care and improved well-being for older adults.
In the context of this research, one of the current problems its multicultural aged care workers have encountered in their day-to-day operations is that older migrant Australians in Greater Western Sydney struggle to find care that matches their cultural and linguistic needs.
This mismatch in needs impacts on their cultural well-being and physical care because they may not be comfortable to receiving care from carers who they feel do not have a good understanding of their needs.
TGH: Do the barriers differ for older people of established communities compared to the ones from newly formed communities?
Spyros Schismenos: The literature shows that among the more establish migrant communities in Australia like the Greeks and Italians there is more willingness to allow older migrants to be cared for in managed care facilities. Among more recent migrant communities this is less prominent.
There is little differentiation amongst communities’ settlement experiences, apart from English language capability — those with higher levels of English language capability, and those from cultural groups with cultural practices most similar to, or aligned with the host culture, settled more easily than others.
TGH: What are the current issues with funding and quality in aged care services in Australia?
Elfa Moraitakis: There are no significant levels of culturally and linguistically appropriate care of, or consideration for, the needs for older Australian migrants in the aged care sector, particularly in Greater Western Sydney.
The policy settings for aged care packages have meant that the onus of arranging aged care has fallen onto the aged client and their families. When age, language and cultural challenges compound, it often means accessing appropriate care becomes too difficult and overwhelming to navigate. The unintended consequences of changing the way funding is currently accessed and administered has atomised the way that CALD clients interact with SydWest care staff to have their social needs met.
Likewise, the upcoming reforms mean that providers such as SydWest will not be receiving targeted or adequate funding to cater for socially engaging multi-cultural gatherings. Consequentially, older migrants (including refugees) to Australia may face difficulties in finding meaningful social participation and the joyful social aspects of life.
TGH: How will BEC findings support older adults in Western Sydney and nationally as well as internationally?
Census data shows that the population of Greater Western Sydney is ageing, with large growth in the 55-69 year cohort.
The traditional source of migration is UK, and New Zealand and South Africa are also in the top ten, but there is a growing number of older Australians from CALD backgrounds in our area.
Changes to the sources of migration to Australia —particularly migration from China, India, Philippines, Vietnam — means that the people who migrate as business or skilled migrants now will be needing care in 20-30 years times, however little is known about the care needs of this older and potentially vulnerable CALD population.
Their cultural and language needs must be considered in the care that is provided to them, and the service delivery activities that are designed for them.
TGH: Are there any plans for future collaboration projects between SydWest and HADRI?
Director, Associate Professor Nichole Georgeou: HADRI would like to continue working with SydWest Multicultural Services to extend this research to include other ethnic groups and communities.
Working with SydWest allows Western Sydney University to have a positive impact in our community.
While the study is not yet complete, it’s been a great experience to work with communities in Greater Western Sydney, and with SydWest, the largest provider of at home care packages in the region.
The Better Elder Care project has given us a great insight into the things that concern the CALD communities, and we hope that our recommendations will be taken up by the Federal government and hopefully states will follow.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians, was released from a Washington hospital on Monday morning after an overnight stay early in his 12-day visit to the United States.
Bartholomew was brought to George Washington University Hospital on Sunday night after he felt “unwell” due to the long flight and busy schedule of events.
But upon his release, Bartholomew didn’t waste any time getting back to work. On Monday night, he held a meeting with US President Joe Biden in the Oval Office.
“…the Ecumenical Patriarch addressed the urgency of political leaders responding to the climate crisis, the distribution of Covid vaccines to developing nations, and the reopening of Halki Seminary,” Archbishop of America Elpidophoros said about the meeting in a tweet.
Bartholomew with Anthony Blinken.
This meeting followed an earlier discussion between the Ecumenical Patriarch and the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, at the office of the US State Department.
During this meeting, Bartholomew raised concerns about the plight of Christians in the Middle East, addressed the urgent need for political action in response to climate crisis & emphasised the role of inter-religious dialogue.
Bartholomew meets with US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken.
Later on Monday, Bartholomew is set to attend a dinner at Georgetown University hosted by its president, John DeGioia, and Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington DC.
On Thursday, he is scheduled receive an honorary degree from the University of Notre Dame in an event highlighting efforts to improve Orthodox-Catholic ties.
On November 2, he is scheduled to preside at a door-opening ceremony at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine in New York City. The shrine replaces a church destroyed during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
Axel Sidaros could be out of jail by the middle of next year, after he successfully argued for another charge against him to be dropped, according to ABC News.
Sidaros, 25, is the only person convicted over the fiery shoot-out between rival bikies at a Canberra home in 2018.
CCTV footage of the 2018 incident shows three men sneaking into the backyard and then firing into the house of former Comanchero boss Peter Zradkovic. Mr Zradkovic, who lost the top of a finger in the shoot out, can be seen firing back as he runs out of the house.
The incident ended after petrol poured around cars in the drive way ignited and exploded and the men fled.
Former Comancheros boss Peter Zdravkovic. Photo: ABC News.
Sidaros has been through two trials, two appeals, and has employed some of the best lawyers in the country in his effort to beat the charges against him.
He was originally sentenced to 14 years in prison for his involvement in the shoot-out, but that was cut to nine years and nine months after his second trial cleared him of an attempted murder charge.
Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, and British Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Bilateral Framework between Greece and the UK in London on Monday.
The new framework is expected to boost trade, security and digital co-operation between the two NATO member states, as well as enable bilateral deals to be done on education, tourism and maritime affairs.
I signed with #UK Foreign Secretary @trussliz#MoU on Strategic Bilateral Framework between 🇬🇷🇬🇧. #Greece and the #UK open a new chapter in their post-Brexit partnership deepening their cooperation on a wide range of areas, including foreign policy and defence. pic.twitter.com/OSGRAT33q2
“The framework we’ve signed with Greece will open up new opportunities for trade and investment in both countries, enabling better co-operation between businesses, investors and industry, and builds on strong security and defence co-operation as we seek to challenge malign actors that threaten to disrupt our freedoms and way of life,” Ms Truss said at the signing ceremony.
Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, said the task now was to prove that the UK’s withdrawal from the EU was “an opportunity for closer, deeper, more honest bilateral relations.”
Foreign Minister, Nikos Dendias, and British Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss.
“Greece and the UK open a new chapter in their post-Brexit partnership, deepening their cooperation on a wide range of areas, including foreign policy and defense,” Dendias said, and spoke of a “warm and productive discussion on taking forward Greek-British security and trade cooperation.”
The two leaders also discussed developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus, and the West Balkans.
Greek Parliament has been suspended until the end of the week to mark the death of Fofi Gennimata, the leader of Greece’s third biggest party, on Monday.
It is the “smallest tribute” the House can pay to the president of center-left Movement for Change (KINAL), parliament speaker Konstantinos Tassoulas said.
In addition, Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, declared a day of national mourning for Wednesday when Gennimata’s funeral will take place in Athens.
The PASOK and KINAL leader will lie in state at Athens Cathedral (Mitropoli) as of 10am on Wednesday, while the funeral will be held at Athens Cathedral at 12pm on the same day. Gennimata will be buried at the First Cemetery of Athens.
Fofi Gennimata passed away on Monday after a long battle with breast cancer.
Tributes pour in for Gennimata from Greece:
In a written statement following the announcement of the 56-year-old’s death after a long battle with breast cancer, Mitsotakis hailed Gennimata as a “symbol of courage for all women, but also for men being tested by serious illnesses.”
“I bid her farewell with respect, but also overwhelmed by the thoughts provoked by her unjust and untimely death,” he said as he was returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia, which he cut short at news of her death.
Με θλίψη και συντριβή πληροφορήθηκα την απώλεια της Φώφης Γεννηματά. Την αποχαιρετώ με σεβασμό. Αλλά και πλημμυρισμένος από τις σκέψεις που προκαλεί ο τόσο άδικος και πρόωρος χαμός της. Γιατί η πολιτική υπάρχει για να είναι, πριν απ’ όλα, ανθρώπινη. https://t.co/B4PhWzy4dOpic.twitter.com/DdOa59gu4V
“She was a fighter for life, battling with dignity the challenges to her health and the enemy that hit her family,” he continued in reference to the fact that her father, Georgios Gennimatas, one of the founding members of the PASOK socialist party that later became a part of KINAL, also died of cancer.
For his part, Alexis Tsipras, the leader of Greece’s main opposition party SYRIZA, described Gennimata’s death as an “impoverishment of the country’s political life.”
She “battled for life until the very end with determination and dignity,” Tsipras said.
Greek President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, said on Monday: “We say farewell to Fofi Gennimata with a sense of profound sadness… She fought every battle in her life, the small ones and the bigger ones, with dignity, without losing her bright smile.”
Greek President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, (L) with Gennimata.
The secretary general of the Greek Communist Party (KKE), Dimitris Koutsoumbas, said: “I express my deep sorrow for the loss of Fofi Gennimata, leader of KINAL, to whom I say goodbye with great respect for her honesty, but also for the bravery with which she gave the battle for life.”
MeRA25 chief, Yannis Varoufakis, added that her death “deprives us of a person who could not be spared in Parliament, a woman who put the brakes on the male domination of the political stage.”
Leaders abroad send their condolences:
The Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Anthony Albanese, also sent a message of condolence to the Greek community on the passing of Gennimata.
“Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Fofi Gennimata in Greece overnight. Many Greek Australians were touched by her passion for the Greek diaspora. On behalf of the Australian Labor Party, I send my condolences to her family and friends,” he wrote.
Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Fofi Gennimata in Greece overnight. Many Greek Australians were touched by her passion for the Greek diaspora. On behalf of the @AustralianLabor Party, I send my condolences to her family and friends.
Later, the Board of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria also issued a statement expressing its ‘deep sorrow’ at the death of the prominent politician.
“Fofi Gennimata has always stood by the side of expatriates and expatriate organisations during her many years of presence and contribution to the political scene of the homeland,” the statement reads.
Cypriot President, Nicos Anastasiades, on Monday lamented the death of a “young politician connected to me by a selfless friendship” in his condolences message on the passing of Gennimata.
“Her sensible and well-grounded political discourse will be missed by us all,” he said.
Εκφράζω την οδύνη μου για την απώλεια της Φώφης Γεννηματά, μίας νέας πολιτικού με την οποία μας συνέδεε ανιδιοτελής φιλία. Ο νηφάλιος και τεκμηριωμένος πολιτικός της λόγος θα λείψει από όλους μας. Στην οικογένεια της εύχομαι κουράγιο και δύναμη. Ας είναι αιωνία η μνήμη της. pic.twitter.com/RvE91P386L
European Union Commissioner, Margaritis Schinas, said in a tweet that Gennimata was dedicated to the service of “democracy and national consensus.”
“She made a contribution during some critical times for the country; with dignity, ethos and decency in every battle,” he added.
Gennimata was credited for establishing the Greek public health system during the government of PASOK in the 1980’s.
The politician was president of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) since 2015. Since 2017, she served as the president of the Movement for Change, a coalition of center-left parties formed around PASOK.
KINAL President, Fofi Gennimata, has passed away today at Athens’ Evangelismos Hospital at the age of 56 after a long battle with cancer.
“We extend our condolences to her family and friends,” the hospital said in a statement.
Gennimata was admitted to Athens’ Evangelismos Hospital in early October with an intestinal obstruction, causing her to withdraw from the KINAL party leadership elections.
“The deterioration of my health, which requires hospitalisation and treatment, obliges me not to participate as a candidate in the electoral process for the election of the president of the Movement for Change,” Gennimata said in a statement at the time.
Η επιδείνωση της κατάστασης της υγείας μου που απαιτεί νοσηλεία και αντιμετώπιση, με υποχρεώνει να μην συμμετάσχω ως υποψήφια στην εκλογική διαδικασία για την εκλογή Προέδρου του Κινήματος Αλλαγής.
Gennimata, the daughter of Greek politician Giorgos Gennimatas, was credited for establishing the Greek public health system during the government of PASOK in the 1980’s.
The politician was president of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) since 2015. Since 2017, she served as the president of the Movement for Change, a coalition of center-left parties formed around PASOK.
From October 2009 to September 2010, Gennimata served as a Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare in the Cabinet of George Papandreou, and from September 2010 to November 2011, she served as an Alternate Minister of Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs in the same cabinet.
In the days that followed The Greek Herald’s article on the new taxi licence plate reforms announced by the NSW Government recently, we were contacted by many other members of Sydney’s Greek community who wanted to express their anger and disappointment.
As reported, Transport for NSW held a number of webinars with taxi licence owners in September this year where they announced the new reforms. These included, but were not limited to, removing the limit on the number of taxi licences and removing restrictions on areas where taxis can operate.
According to the CEO of the NSW Taxi Council, Martin Rogers, this means that “if you own a taxi licence, once the reforms come through, they’ll be gone. What you would then need to do to even operate a taxi is apply for an annual licence for one year through the Point to Point Transport Commission for about $200 a year.”
Mr Rogers then explained how during the webinar, Transport for NSW gave an “inappropriate example” of how taxi licence owners could potentially be compensated for this cancellation. They said owners could be given $50,000 for each licence, but it will be capped at two licences. Anything over that will not be compensated, amounting in huge losses for many Greeks who initially paid around $400,000 for a licence.
One person who heard all about this proposal through our article was 64-year-old Maria Athanasakos.
Back in 2003, Ms Athanasakos and her husband decided to sell a house they owned and invested in two taxi licences “because they were supposed to be government-run and secure for our future.” They paid $294,000 for one licence and $295,000 for the second.
Ms Athanasakos was happy with the investment until 2015 when rideshare services such as Uber came onto the scene and the NSW Government de-regulated the booked market.
“It’s ruined us financially and mentally. It’s not fair,” she tells The Greek Herald.
“There’s no more income from the taxi. We get $60 a month. That’s ridiculous and now they want us to hand the plates back for $50,000 and then if we want to continue, we have to pay them. That’s not fair, that’s criminal.”
Ms Athanasakos says the situation needs to be rectified with appropriate compensation.
Transport for NSW held a number of webinars with taxi licence owners in September this year where they announced new reforms.
“I think to me a fair compensation would be to at least [get] what we paid for [the licence]. Back in 2015, they were worth $400,000 plus, but I’m willing to lose that and take what I paid for,” she says.
Luckily, the Sydney local isn’t alone in her fight for compensation.
75-year-old Manos has been a taxi licence owner since 1971, with about six licences. He is also ‘very angry’ at the way the NSW Government handled the introduction of rideshare services back in 2015 and is now joining the chorus of Greek voices against the proposed new taxi licence reforms.
“I bought the licences through the years just to have a good retirement but now, unfortunately, they are worth nothing and I can’t get by with what I’m getting,” Manos says.
“There’s about 4,000, I think, owners that have to be compensated. Some people own one [licence], some own 18 or 20 and they say they will only compensate two plates. If you have six or ten, you get compensated on two plates. That’s ridiculous. What happens to the other plates? Did we steal them? We had to finance our homes to get this money.”
Arthur Papapetros, 79, relates with Manos’ frustrations.
Arthur Papapetros in front of one of his taxis. Photo supplied.
Mr Papapetros owns two taxi licences and paid roughly $380,000 for each. He tells The Greek Herald they are now worthless and he’s worried he will lose everything if the reforms are passed.
“I’ve been in Australia for 50 years. I came with my wife. We worked hard… and then decided to buy into taxis. In those years, the taxis were very good but now we’ve lost all our money. We can’t even get the pension,” Mr Papapetros, who still drives taxis, says.
“The way things are now I don’t know what will happen.”
Pressure mounts on the NSW Government:
Kyriakos Koliadis has been campaigning for years for these people to receive adequate compensation.
Mr Koliadis has not only worked closely with the taxi industry to pressure the government about the proposed reforms, but he has also been personally impacted as he owns three taxi licences.
“From the moment the NSW Government gave the green light for foreign businesses to work in the taxi industry without a licence, slowly, slowly, those of us who have taxi licences have been destroyed,” Mr Koliadis tells The Greek Herald.
“It’s a big embarrassment for the NSW Government because they have classified us not as second-class citizens but as third-class citizens.”
In response, Mr Koliadis says he wrote a letter on October 8 to both the new NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet, and the NSW Minister for Transport and Roads, Robert Stokes MP, and expressed his frustrations. He is yet to receive a reply.
Kyriakos Koliadis has been campaigning for years for people to receive adequate compensation.
But that’s not to say there hasn’t been any progress at all.
According to Mr Rogers from the NSW Taxi Council, they held a meeting with the NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Paul Toole MP, on Thursday, October 21, and explained their concerns about the proposed reforms.
“We highlighted the need for appropriate compensation for the loss of value in taxi licences since 2015 and the two cap limit used in the webinar example to be scrapped. We also raised concerns about the impact on regional areas with unlimited licences and the removal of operating areas, which could result in loss of service,” Mr Rogers explained.
“We reiterated that back to the Deputy Premier and the need to actually address this before any reforms or bill is presented to Parliament. He listened to our concerns and it’s now imperative the NSW Government work together with industry to address them.
“We have also requested an urgent meeting with the Minister for Transport and Roads, Rob Stokes, to further highlight these concerns.”
‘There will be further compensation’:
In a comment from a Transport for NSW spokesperson to The Greek Herald, they said:
“Currently, taxis have some limitations in their ability to put on new or additional vehicles to compete with other operators such as rideshare, which do not face these constraints.
The proposed reforms, which include removing the limit on the number of taxi licences available, will address this imbalance by making taxi licences available on application and therefore creating a more even playing field, enabling taxis to better compete with other services.
Taxi service providers will have more choice and flexibility about how they respond to market changes – either by putting on more taxis, expanding their fleets to include hire vehicles, specialising in rank and hail services only, or providing other niche services.
There will be further compensation for impacted licence holders. Throughout September 2021, Transport for NSW consulted with taxi licence owners and others connected to the point to point transport industry on the design of the financial assistance scheme, in addition to over $145 million already paid to the industry, and the transition to new arrangements.
Our focus, like it has always been, is to support and guide industry, particularly those most affected, through this transition.”
Only time will tell what the final outcome of these new taxi licence reforms will be but The Greek Herald will continue to advocate for Greek community members who stand to be impacted. If you have a similar issue, you can call us on: 9566 0500 or email: info@foreignlanguage.com.au.
The nominations are in and the finalists have been selected for The Advertiser, Messenger and Department for Education School Sports Awards 2021.
Among the 29 finalists is Greek Australian, Kayla Tsorotiotis, from Glossop High School in the ‘Student Official Section.’
At just 18, Kayla has been a football umpire for under-13s, under-15s and under-18s level for a number of years.
Kayla also started field umpiring local A-grade games this year.
A football umpire.
Her debut was guided by co-coaches, Mick Trussell and Todd Charlton, at the Loxton North versus Barmera Monash game at Panther Park in July. She was joined by her sister, Georgia, and siblings, Amelia and Alexis Magiarapis, who did the boundary umpiring.
“I’m very excited,” she told Murray Pioneer at the time. “It’s a big thing for us young girls in the Riverland league.”
The winners and runners-up of the SA School Sports Awards 2021 will be announced at the South Australian Museum on November 10.
The proportion of women working across all science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) qualified industries in Australia has continually increased for the last five years but Australia needs more collective action to achieve gender equity in STEM by 2030.
In an effort to inspire more young women to participate in STEM and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) Greek Australia leaders call their peers from across the country, aged 18-25, to join the free Tech4Girls Digital Skills Workshop set to be held in virtually on Saturday November 6.
“As a country we urgently need a gender approach to ITC education and to be thinking about ways to engage more young women with tech,” Founding Director and Chair of Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network (CBWN), Freda Miriklis told The Greek Herald.
— Commonwealth Businesswomen‘s Network (@Official_CBWN) October 19, 2021
“The workshop is backed by heavyweights – the UN EQUALS Global Partnership for Digital Gender Equality and is supported by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the Commonwealth Businesswomen Network (CBWN). The gender approach we have taken to this training makes it fun, engaging, and a creative way to explore some of the technologies and tech skills that e-commerce requires.”
The program in Australia will be delivered by Verizon and participants will receive a certificate of completion.
“COVID has led a surge in e-commerce, and we are seeing the necessity of digital transformation for business. Attendees will learn how a physical store can be transposed to an online store and have the opportunity to design and create their own online stores using Shopify while exploring and applying a variety of technologies and tech skills in the process,” Ms Miriklis said.
“They will then be supported and on-boarded onto the Commonwealth e-market launched by CBWN this year, the first such initiative in the Commonwealth’s history – which is being led not by male-led large corporates but by women entrepreneurs. We want to see more young women make the shift from being just consumers of information to becoming digital creators.”
Participants need to have basic digital skills, access to a laptop and Internet connection and a basic command of the English language.
Director of Policy and Vice President of Business and Professional Women (BPW) Australia , Angela Tomazos, said it’s important for young women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) community to participate in this global initiative.
“It is an opportunity to see young women engage in this industry where the data shows we don’t see enough, particularly in our multicultural communities. This program’s intent is to equip young women with a skill set which will encourage them to pursue further training.”
“There could be apps they could create to help them and our community. Our young girls bring diversified interest which can help them grow and develop into future leaders in ICT,” Ms Tomazos said.
For information, details and expressions of interest message the BWP Australia via their FB page or email president@bpw.com.au
