MAYOR Greg Williamson has never ironed one of his wife Annette’s dresses and she has never ironed one of his shirts.

In his words they “have attacked everything as a team”.

This year’s campaign theme for International Women’s Day on Friday March 8 is #balanceforbetter while celebrating women’s successes and calling for a more gender- balanced world.  

Dear Body,

To your bumps, scars and lumps, your story lines.

Lines on your face, strong skin, tough heart.

Heart, it beats loud and soft.

Softly your breathe sighs in and out searching for peace.

WHEN is it okay to say to a woman, “Women have a scent when they are on their period. You can just smell them and you know you have to steer clear of them”. Yes, a man said this to my face. In fact, he said it to my sister as well while we were waiting for our lunch order. Let’s say it turned me off my food and got me pretty revved up. I was so mad by the following conversation it has taken me a week to actually think about how to write this blog.

CLARE Desira laughs through the phone; it is infectiously light and warm like a hug. Her happiness beams through her voice and her tone sounds at ease, content and connected with who she is. Clare believes that happiness is a habit and it is this belief that is the foundation of the Top Five Movement, she is the founder of. The Top Five Movement in essence is simple tools for a happier life.

Alanna Bastin-Byrne is resilient, extroverted, industrious, humorous and a planner. Like, most women living in today’s modern world, Alana is generous, supportive, courageous, tough and kind. Women like Alanna are the perfect combination of steel and cotton wool, able to be strong and feminine all at once. She believes women are tough in the modern world, but as the stories of women in history have shown, women have always had to be tough.

EMILY Somers is covered in tattoos. Not the inked version, but scars from radiotherapy, which she bravely wears. A week before her 27th birthday Emily was diagnosed with 2B Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, after she found a lump above her collar bone.  Her life went from parties, advertising, design and 24/7 fun to chemotherapy wards, oncology appointments and constant naps.

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”

The Queen from Snow White asked this question pretty regularly, hoping the mirror would say her name.

When I look in the mirror these days, I am fair, and by fair, I mean fairly certain I have seen better days. The other day I woke up and said to the mirror “good grief is that my face? “ And to quote my father, it looked a bit like a chewed caramel”.

WHAT is the greatest gift a woman wants?

It is the desire to be valued.

There is worth in the value of being valued.

Women deserve to feel worthy, considered and appreciated for what they bring to the table both professionally and personally.