Albany community stands for peace and equality on International Women’s Day

The sun was shining as the Albany community stood united on the Stirling Terrace footbridge to demand gender equality and support the people of Ukraine this International Women’s Day.

The annual Join Me on the Bridge event — hosted by Soroptimist International of Albany — was a moment for men and women to come together to demand equality for women.

This year’s theme was Break the Bias, encouraging the community to challenge outdated gender stereotypes and reflect on what still needs to be done to achieve true gender equality in Australia.

According to the State Government, WA’s gender pay gap is “unacceptably high” at 21.9 per cent compared with 14.2 per cent nationally.

The pay gap exists despite 37 per cent of women holding a bachelor degree or above, compared with 29 per cent of men.

And it starts early — with 2018 salary data showing undergraduate median starting salaries were higher for men in 16 out of 21 fields.

Holding sunflowers and waving yellow and blue flags, Albany attendees sang John Lennon’s Imagine as a show of support for the people of Ukraine fighting for their freedom.

The Join Me on the Bridge event is a global movement started in 2010 as a tribute to women from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo who, on opposite sides of war, came together on a bridge connecting their countries.