From the Deputy Headmaster / Head of Junior School

This week, during the inaugural SA Women’s Week, our Junior School Student Leaders shared reflections on instances of inequality at their House Meetings. It was inspiring to see our students speak knowledgeably and confidently about examples personal to their mothers’ and grandmothers’ experiences, as well as eminent women from both history and the present.

One student opened his presentation quoting Coco Chanel ‘A girl should be two things: who and what she wants’. He then went on to talk about an impressive career of a British surgeon by the name of Dr James Barry. But why did Alex, our Library Captain, talk about a man at our International Women’s Day focused house meetings? Because Dr James Barry was born Margaret Bulkley. She dressed as a man and took on an alter ego to follow her passion to become a physician, well before women were allowed to study medicine. A pertinent example of how much progress we have made towards gender parity.

However, there is still so much to be achieved in this space. At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum. (IWD, 2025). I am encouraged by the way in which our students have been able to identify where there is still change to be made. Jack, our Sports Captain, was able to highlight the gap in pay still evident in professional sports, particularly when it comes to transfer payments on the Soccer stage. Jack, our Athletics Captain, made the observation that there are far more women who volunteer for committees such as Junior School Friends of Saints, and posed the question to boys, are your dads ready to challenge the stereotype and volunteer?

Which brings me back to Coco Chanel. If ‘a girl should be two things: who and what she wants’ in view of promoting gender equality, a boy should also be two things: who and what he wants.

Jasmine Taylor
Deputy Headmaster – Head of Junior School

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