CQU Bundaberg’s Dr Christine Murphy was a guest speaker at the International Women’s Day celebrations recently held in the city to mark the important day.

Dr Murphy told the audience International Women’s Day was a day filled with promise, with a focus toward the future and the important role that women and mothers will play in the days ahead.

“Today is a day for us to reflect on the past and contemplate the future, a day of excitement and mixed emotions, a day of celebration mixed with anxiety given the world political climate, perhaps it will be day of closure, it is certainly a day of beginning,” she said.

The key message from Dr Murphy’s was about women and their choice to work in paid employment.

“I agree with Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Pru Goward that one of the challenges we face is making working and mothering viable choice for women. It is a time to stop focusing on what we do not have but to focus on what can be and how we can get there.

“We need to build on past successes of women and their achievements and there are many. We need to create new successes and there are so many possibilities.

Dr Murphy concluded her talk with some strong words.

“This is day we should rise to the challenges and work together to make working and mothering viable choice for all women."