Juliana Nkrumah. Picture: Mike Sea
Mother-of-three Juliana Nkrumah believes International Womens Day should be a national holiday.
The Quakers Hill resident believes that women deserve a day off from work to celebrate "sisterhood and the milestones achieved for women’s rights".
Watch our video interview, filmed by Mike Sea, below:
“International Women’s Day is a day that our forbearers made an effort to highlight the situation of all women in work and society, to really push and advocate for changes to bring rights to women,” Ms Nkrumah said.
The day is celebrated as an official holiday in 27 countries and in the United States, the whole month of March is recognised as Women's History Month.
Ms Nkrumah said women should not work on the day, but rather use it to discuss further improvement in women’s rights.
“Lets talk about what we have as women in our local communities and what we gained over the years, where the gaps are, who's going to do what about those gaps and how we can bring it to the notice of government across the board,” she said.
Originally from Ghana, Ms Nkrumah was made a Member of the Order of Australia this year for her significant service to the community, the welfare of women and refugees.
She credits her culture and education as the main drivers of her passion for empowering women.
“In my culture women are ‘it’, women run the world which is a strange context in the general community where men rule the world.
"Even before the king or chief speaks, the queen mother would have said her bit.”
Ms Nkrumah is also a strong advocate for multiculturalism and for migrant women to strive to become becoming positive community leaders, advocates or representatives in their chosen fields.
“It’s important to understand that there is scope in Australia for all of us to use our abilities.
“Women need help in understanding that we have a place at the table.”