Ask Sharon: Trailblazers pave the way for women

There seems to be an international day for just about everything, but there is one I’ll be paying homage to. Next Tuesday is International Women’s Day, and according to the United Nations it’s “a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.”

In Griffith the occasion will be celebrated with a breakfast on Friday 11 March hosted by the local branch of Soroptimist International – an organisation which is “a global voice for women.”

In the invitation to the event I read about guest speaker Jane Caro. Jane is a “renowned author, social commentator, columnist, broadcaster and award winning advertising writer. Jane appears frequently on Sunrise, Q&A, The Project and The Gruen Transfer.  She is also the mother of two daughters, a wife, a beef producer and a timber grower. By her own admission, Jane has a low boredom threshold.”

That last bit gave me a wry smile as it resonated loud and clear. I too have a low boredom threshold. I immediately began concocting possible questions I would ask Jane should I get the opportunity. “How do you do it?” was at the forefront.

The moment I printed my own ticket for the breakfast (very 21^st century), there was an ensuing brain-frenzy. My thoughts raced to school drop-off, homework obligations, uniforms, lunch orders…My hands were equally as frantic reaching for post-it notes and a pen that worked to relay all the instructions.

Now, while my hubby is more than capable of taking care of the kids on his own, suddenly getting a six-year old to school on time with a toddler in tow, put it into another category (at least in my mind). I wondered, is this my issue of control or a representation of what is expected of women who work and raise children in the new millennium?

It got me thinking further about this (sometimes lofty) concept of work life balance. The topic is a subjective one. One woman’s norm is another’s nightmare! Regardless, what really matters is that a woman is happy – whatever she is doing – even if it is more of a juggling act than a balancing act at times.

So while we haven’t yet found the magic formula for achieving work life balance (very un-21^st century), it doesn’t really matter.

What I do know is that as long as there’s extraordinary women like Jane blazing new trails, and organisations like Soroptimist International supporting women, we’ll be ok.

I was lucky enough to speak with Jane after the breakfast. As she signed a copy of her book, Plain-Speaking Jane, I asked her my question about how she tackles parenting and a career. Interestingly, her response, which she wrote on the inside cover was, “Just do less.”