NATALIE PEREZ
BAYANIHAN FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY By Natalie Perez, SheLeadsTech Coordinator of the ISACA Melbourne Chapter Natalie is the SheLeadsTech Coordinator of the ISACA Melbourne Chapter. In this article, she reflects on her experience leading the organising of the International Women’s Day event with other organisations that share the same objectives in their programs, i.e. increase the representation of women in the technology industry. Natalie who is a dual Australian-Filipino citizen, fondly connects her experience with a Philippine value known as Bayanihan, where a community/ group of people work together for a common goal.
In the Philippines ‘Bayanihan’ means communal unity,
the house. A whole house is a heavy load, but the
people helping each other to achieve a goal without
community is in unison and its spirit is strong.
expecting reward. Bayanihan is a centuries old tradition in the Philippines. In earlier days, a common
I felt the Filipino spirit of Bayanihan when we planned
example of Bayanihan was house moving. Houses
and ran the full-day International Women’s Day
were ‘nipa’ huts made from light materials such
event on 7 March 2022. The event had almost 1500
as bamboo and coconut leaves and townspeople
registered participants, 1300 of whom attended.
gathered to carry a house on their shoulders to move
The virtual sessions also attracted participants from
it from one block of land to another. Those people
across Australia and elsewhere.
might have been either family members, relatives or neighbours.
In September 2021, I started to think about programs and events SheLeadsTech Melbourne could offer
A house moving Bayanihan has a leader who provides
in 2022 and which organisations we could partner
instructions and leads the way to where the house
or collaborate with. One of the initiatives that
will be moved whilst community members walk
came to mind was International Women’s Day
together, sharing the load of carrying and moving
for 2022. Its theme, ‘Break the Bias’, aligned with SheLeadsTech’s purpose, vision and mission.
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