Preparations underway for International Women's Day march

Free workshops are underway at the Katherine Regional Arts in conjunction with Katherine's Women's Legal Service (KWILS) to prepare for the annual International Women's Day March across the Eugene Betti Bridge on March 8.

KWILS chief executive officer Siobhan Mackay said one workshop had already been held on February 22 but there was another coming up next week.

"We have another free workshop at KRA on March 1," Ms Mackay said.

"At the first workshop there was a wonderful atmosphere, energy and conversations happening, there was real joy and strength in the room. So if we can maintain that momentum into the IWD march it will be an amazing evening.

"A drawing of the Katherine high level bridge with the flood marker made into a fist holding up the bridge, has been made into a screen print. People can bring a shirt and have it printed before the event."

Ms Mackay said this year's theme was "gender equality today, for a sustainable tomorrow."

"It is really tying in gender equality and climate change. I think at the 2021 Glasgow Summit had young women like Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg, who spoke amazingly on the need for gender equality to address climate change," she said.

"And also the disproportionate impact that climate change has on women and particularly girls education. So it is really tying together all those themes."

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Ms Mackay said about 50 to 100 locals took part in the Katherine IWD March each year.

"Katherine as a community has celebrated International Women's Day for many years, with a March across the Katherine high level bridge. So that has become an annual tradition here," she said.

"We usually see 500 to 100 residents take part and we would really like for there to be a good turn out this year.

"On March 8 we will gather at Ryan Park from 5pm so people can make up some signs if they haven't already.

"We will then march across the bridge and come back to Ryan Park for an ongoing celebration including art activities, speeches, performances by the local choir and Katie Oliver and food and drinks."

Ms Mackay said the March was a great opportunity to celebrate Katherine's diversity.

"We just want it to be as inclusive and celebrate the diversity of Katherine. It would be wonderful to have men and women, non-binary, young and old, from all backgrounds to come together talking about how Katherine as a community can address gender and equality both in relation to the 2022 theme but also in a small community," she said.

"We have so much strength to really come together and look at what we want Katherine to look like and how we can all contribute to seeing that come to life."

The Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Sally Sievers will also be visiting Katherine the week of the IWD celebrations, looking at equality and anti-discrimination of women in Katherine and the Big Rivers Region.

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