National conference celebrates women
The National Council of Jewish Women of Australia held its national conference in Melbourne earlier this month. The theme of the gathering was 'Women Unlimited'.
AROUND 100 members of the community descended on the Caulfield Park Pavilion to discuss issues at the forefront for women at the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia (NCJWA) national conference earlier this month.
The theme of the gathering, Women Unlimited, centred on removing the real and perceived barriers to the potential and possibilities for women and girls.
Author and founder of Collective Shout, a grassroots campaign against the objectification of women and the sexualisation of girls, Melinda Tankard-Reist delivered the keynote address on gender stereotyping and toxic cultural messages. Exploring the ways in which individuals can take a stand, she shared examples and examined the degrading messages depicted in advertising, the damaging images and messages represented on clothing for adults and children, and the negative body image narratives perpetuated in teen magazines and the wider media.
“Our girls aren’t being valued for their gifts, their talents, their abilities, their art, their poetry, their desire to address global issues. It is all reduced to the body. How many ‘likes’ you get in your bikini shot on Instagram,” commented Tankard-Reist.
She also delved into the link between body image and mental health, sharing increased statistics around depression, anxiety and self-harm.
“One in four teenage girls in Australia wants to have plastic surgery, mostly they want to have breast implants. Genital surgery has increased by 50 per cent in the last few years, mostly undertaken by women aged 15-24.
“We need to look at the cultural messages sent to girls to make them think this is what they have to do, that they are not good enough the way that they are.”
NCJWA national president Negba Weiss-Dolev explained, “One of the most powerful points Tankard-Reist made was that the sexual objectification of women and girls leads society to view women as ‘less human’ and hence vulnerable to exploitation and abuse,” adding, “As Jews, we are only too aware of the horrible consequences of de-humanising the ‘other’.”
Further issues tackled at the conference included what women should be fighting for, changing the gender mix in Jewish leadership, and the status of women in Israel. President of The King David School Lahra Carey moderated the Girls Unlimited panel with Enza Sgroi, Professor Helen Forgasz, Dr Susan Wise and Chelsea Fisher. Meanwhile, other panel discussions included Women in Business led by United Jewish Board of Education president Gabi Crafti; and Women in Leadership moderated by chair of the NCJWA (Vic) Advocacy Subcommittee Anna Serry.
NCJWA also hosted a conference dinner on Sunday evening at Gandel Gallery with Melbourne Theatre Company writer in residence Elise Hearst.
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