Tradicionalnea praznovanja Mednarodnega Praznika Dneva Žena se je udeležilo večje število članov in prijateljev , ki so obeležili pomeben praznik posvečen vsem ženam sveta .
Ob njihovem prazničnem dnevu se družba pokloni in zahvali za vse kar predstavljajo v družinskem , družbenem , socialnem in svetovnem okolju. Danes domala ni demokratične družbe ali države , kjer ne bi bile na vodilnih položajih ženske vse do predsedniskega položaja , kjer modro, spoštljivo, marljivo in delovno opravlajo svoje poslanstvo.
Kot vedno tudi tokrat v Klubu Triglav ni bilo nic drugače.
Na vratih v Klub so prajele rdeč nagelj tradicionalni simbolj spoštovanja, priznanja in zahvale za vse dobro , ki ga srčno delijo z vsemi in povsot. V dvorani , ki je bila tokrat skoraj premajhna je bilo vzdušje neprimerljivo dugačno – svečano prijetno domače. Od povsod je bilo slisati čestitke , srečen Dan Zena – Happy Woman’s Day.
Stikov rok prijaznih besed objemov svojcev in prijateljev je bilo kot po tekočem traku , zares izjemen dan.
Višek prireditve in o pomebnosti Dneva Žena je bil govor Njegove Excellence, Ambassadorja Republike Slovenije G. Markota Ham in govor Predsednice HASE , Historical Archives for Slovenians for Slovenian Australians, Gospe Olge Lah, ki si ju v celoti lahko preberete v prilogah.
Po uradnem delu prireditve je za dobro voljo popoldneva in ples zaigral ansabel Alpine Echos Stefana Sernek.
It’s wonderful to gather as a community to celebrate International Women’s Day. Thank you to Mounties Triglav for the opportunity.
Today we honour the women who are the heartbeat of our community. The organisers, the carers, the volunteers, the leaders.
Women in our community wear many hats. Sometimes all at once. We are planners, peacekeepers, chauffeurs, cooks, counsellors — and occasionally miracle workers. If multitasking were an Olympic sport, I have no doubt many women here would bring home gold medals.
But beyond the humour lies a deeper truth. So much of what women do is done quietly — without fanfare, without headlines — yet it holds families together, strengthens friendships, and builds communities like ours.
Let’s shine a light on two particular women whose contributions to our Slovenian community are well known.
Our dearly departed Martha Magajna, and here with us today, Michelle Šusteršic, both who were recently awarded The Order Of Australia medal.
Both of these remarkable women wore many hats, and wore them with grace, strength, and dedication. Their valuable work — often behind the scenes — supported and enriched our community in countless ways. Through their commitment, generosity, and leadership, they strengthened our cultural ties and ensured our traditions were preserved and celebrated. We honour Martha’s legacy with gratitude, and we thank Michelle for the living example she continues to be among us.
International Women’s Day is not just about celebrating achievements on the world stage. It’s about recognising the everyday strength we see right here in our community — in acts of kindness, resilience in difficult times, and the courage to keep going when things are not easy.
As a community, we can continue to:
• Encourage leadership.
• Support one another.
• Mentor younger women and girls.
• Stand together when challenges arise.
• And celebrate loudly — because sometimes women are so busy doing everything else, they forget to celebrate themselves.
To every woman in our community: Thank you for your strength….. For your humour…. For your wisdom. ….For your compassion. Our community is richer because of you.
“Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We are the strongest when we cheer each other on.”
May we continue to stand up, support one another, and lift each other higher.
“Naj ženske še naprej svetijo kot luč naše skupnosti.”
Happy International Women’s Day to you all!
Olga Lah
Govor veleposlanika Marka Hama ob 8. marcu, dnevu žena
Klub Triglav Mounties, 8. marec 2026
Spoštovane dame, spoštovani gospodje, članice in člani kluba Triglav Mounties, draga slovenska skupnost v Sydneyju in njeni prijatelji.
Danes se zbiramo ob dnevu žena – dnevu, ki ni nastal zato, da bi si čestitali za popolnost sveta, ampak zato, da se iskreno zazremo v resničnost. Ta resničnost je pogosto lepa, pogosto navdihujoča, a žal tudi pogosto boleča.
- Temna plat moči in vpliva
V zadnjih letih smo videli, kako globoko lahko seže zloraba moči. Primeri, ki so prišli na dan v povezavi z Jeffreyjem Epsteinom, niso le škandali slavnih. So opomin, da tudi v najbolj razvitih družbah obstajajo sistemi, ki dovoljujejo, da so ženske – pogosto najranljivejše – izkoriščane, utišane ali kupljene kot predmet. To ni politična tema. To je človeška tema. In prav je, da nas zaboli, ko o tem govorimo. - Razlike v svetu, ki jih ne smemo spregledati
Ko živimo v Avstraliji ali Sloveniji, se nam marsikaj zdi samoumevno: izobraževanje, delo, svoboda gibanja, svoboda izražanja. A v nekaterih delih sveta ženske še vedno ne smejo pokazati niti las, ne smejo se izobraževati, ne smejo odločati o svojem življenju. Na dan žena se ne primerjamo zato, da bi se počutili boljše – ampak zato, da se zavedamo, kako dragocena je svoboda in kako krhka je lahko. - Izzivi sodobnosti: objektivizacija, nerealni ideali, pornografija in resničnostni šovi
Tudi v svobodnih družbah se ženske soočajo z drugimi oblikami pritiska. Družbena omrežja ustvarjajo svet, v katerem je vrednost ženske pogosto merjena v všečkih, filtrih in nerealnih standardih lepote. To ni napredek. To je nova oblika ujetosti – tiha, bleščeča, a zelo učinkovita.
K temu pritisku prispeva tudi vpliv pornografije, ki pogosto prikazuje ženske kot predmet, ne kot osebo, in normalizira ponižujoče vedenje. To vpliva na to, kako mladi razumejo intimnost, spoštovanje, meje in odnose.
A pritisk ne prihaja le iz interneta. Prihaja tudi iz resničnostnih šovov, ki jih spremljajo milijoni. Nedavno smo videli primer, ko je udeleženec priljubljenega resničnostnega šova izjavil, da želi žensko, ki bo “poslušna kot pes”. To ni zabava. To je normalizacija nadzora, poniževanja in ideje, da je ženska manj vredna. Prav je, da to jasno in glasno zavrnemo.
V zadnjih letih pa opažamo še nekaj, kar nas mora resno skrbeti: porast mizoginije med delom mlajših moških. Številni strokovnjaki opozarjajo, da družbena omrežja, algoritmi in vplivneži, ki promovirajo nadzor in poniževanje žensk, oblikujejo generacijo fantov, ki odrašča z izkrivljenimi predstavami o odnosih. To ni njihova krivda — to je posledica nedosledne vzgoje, pomanjkanja pogovorov o spoštovanju in čustveni pismenosti ter sveta, ki mladim ponuja hitre, a nevarne odgovore. Prav zato je naša naloga, da fantom in dekletom pokažemo drugačen model: model enakosti, odgovornosti in spoštovanja. - Trgovina z ljudmi in moderno suženjstvo
Ob dnevu žena ne moremo mimo ene najtemnejših resnic sodobnega sveta: trgovine z ljudmi. Mednarodne organizacije opozarjajo, da so večina žrtev ženske in dekleta, ujete v prisilno delo, prisilne poroke ali spolno izkoriščanje.
To ni zgodba iz preteklosti. To je moderno suženjstvo, ki se dogaja danes – v Evropi, v Aziji, v Ameriki in tudi v Avstraliji. Tudi tukaj so oblasti potrdile primere prisilnega dela, prisilnih porok in izkoriščanja migrantk. Dogaja se v tišini, v senci, pogosto neopaženo. In dokler obstaja ena sama ženska, ki je prodana ali prisiljena, naš boj za enakost ni končan. - Ponosni na dosežke – doma in v tujini
Kljub vsem izzivom pa imamo tudi razloge za ponos.
V Avstraliji je generalna guvernerka ženska. V Sloveniji je predsednica države ženska. Obe državi imata ženski na položaju zunanje ministrice – Tanjo Fajon in Penny Wong. To niso politične točke, to so simboli, da se prostor odločanja odpira širše in bolj pravično.
Dolga desetletja so bili v politiki skoraj izključno moški. A to se spreminja, saj Evropa v ključnem trenutku zgodovine doživlja vzpon ženskega vodstva. V institucijah Evropske unije tri najvišje položaje zasedajo ženske, med njimi Ursula von der Leyen, prav tako pa ženske vodijo države, kot so Italija, Irska in Bolgarija in Slovenija.
In med vsemi temi zgodbami gre izpostaviti verjetno najbolj prepoznavno Avstralko slovenskega porekla – Tanyo Pliberšek. Ne le kot ministrico, ampak kot ena najglasnejših zagovornic pravic žensk v državi. - Kaj lahko naredimo mi?
Dan žena ni dan, ko čakamo, da svet postane boljši. Je dan, ko se vprašamo, kaj lahko naredimo sami:- da spoštujemo ženske v svojem življenju,
- da poslušamo, ko govorijo o težavah,
- da se odzovemo, ko vidimo krivico,
- da vzgajamo sinove in hčere v duhu enakosti, spoštovanja in odgovornosti.
Zaključek
Dan žena ni praznik popolnosti, ampak praznik poguma. Poguma žensk, ki so se borile pred nami, in poguma, ki ga potrebujemo danes – moški in ženske – da ustvarimo svet, kjer je dostojanstvo vsake osebe nedotakljivo.
Ob tem pa ne smemo pozabiti na nekaj, kar je za našo skupnost tukaj v Avstraliji izjemno dragoceno: na nešteto ur prostovoljnega dela, ki so ga skozi desetletja opravile ženske v slovenskih klubih in organizacijah, tudi v Sydneyju: V klubih, kot sta Triglav in SDS, v organizacijah, kot sta HASA in Slovensko-avstralska gospodarska zbornica, ter v medijih, kot je je bil slovenki radijski program na SBS in zdaj radio VOSA, so prav ženske pogosto tiste, ki so držale skupnost skupaj – s svojim časom, znanjem, energijo in srčnostjo.
Brez njihovega dela bi bila slovenska skupnost v Avstraliji manj povezana, manj živa in manj vidna. Zato je današnji dan tudi priložnost, da se zahvalimo vsem ženskam, ki so desetletja gradile mostove med Slovenijo in Avstralijo, med generacijami, med družinami in med kulturami.
English Version
Ladies and gentlemen, members of the Triglav Mounties Club, dear Slovenian community in Sydney and friends.
Today we gather to mark International Women’s Day – a day that was not created to congratulate ourselves on a perfect world, but to look honestly at reality. A reality that is often beautiful, often inspiring, yet also often painful.
- The dark side of power and influence
In recent years we have seen how deeply the abuse of power can reach. The cases connected to Jeffrey Epstein are not merely scandals of the famous. They are a reminder that even in the most developed societies, systems exist that allow women – often the most vulnerable – to be exploited, silenced, or treated as commodities. This is not a political issue. It is a human issue. And it is right that we feel discomfort when we speak about it. - Inequalities we must not ignore
Living in Australia or Slovenia, many things feel self‑evident: education, work, freedom of movement, freedom of expression. Yet in some parts of the world, women still cannot show their hair, cannot study, cannot decide about their own lives. On International Women’s Day, we do not compare ourselves to feel superior – we do it to remind ourselves how precious freedom is, and how fragile it can be. - Modern pressures: objectification, unrealistic ideals, pornography and reality shows
Even in free societies, women face new forms of pressure. Social media creates a world where a woman’s value is often measured in likes, filters and unrealistic beauty standards. This is not progress. It is a new form of captivity – silent, glittering, and very effective.
Pornography adds another layer of pressure, often portraying women as objects rather than people, and normalising degrading behaviour. This shapes how young people understand intimacy, respect, boundaries and relationships.
And the pressure does not come only from the internet. It also comes from reality shows watched by millions. Recently we saw a case where a contestant on a popular reality program said he wanted a woman who would be “obedient like a dog.” This is not entertainment. This is the normalisation of control, humiliation and the idea that a woman is worth less. It is right that we reject this clearly and loudly.
In recent years, we have also witnessed something that should concern us deeply: a rise in misogyny among some younger men. Many experts warn that social media, algorithms and online influencers who promote control and the demeaning of women are shaping a generation of boys growing up with distorted ideas about relationships. This is not their fault — it is the result of inconsistent guidance, a lack of conversations about respect and emotional literacy, and a digital world that offers quick but dangerous answers. That is why it is our responsibility to show both boys and girls a different model: one built on equality, responsibility and mutual respect. - Human trafficking and modern slavery
On International Women’s Day we cannot ignore one of the darkest realities of our time: human trafficking. International organisations warn that the majority of victims are women and girls, trapped in forced labour, forced marriages or sexual exploitation.
This is not a story from the past. This is modern slavery, happening today – in Europe, in Asia, in America and also here in Australia. Even here, authorities have confirmed cases of forced labour, forced marriages and the exploitation of migrant women. It happens in silence, in the shadows, often unnoticed. And as long as even one woman is sold or coerced, our fight for equality is not finished. - Achievements we can be proud of – at home and abroad
Despite all challenges, we also have reasons for pride.
Australia has a female Governor‑General. Slovenia has a female President. Both countries have female foreign ministers – Tanja Fajon and Penny Wong. These are not political points; they are symbols that decision‑making spaces are opening wider and becoming more just.
For decades, political leadership was almost exclusively male. But that is changing, as Europe witnesses a rise in female leadership at a crucial moment in history. In the institutions of the European Union, three of the highest positions are held by women, including Ursula von der Leyen, and women now lead countries such as Italy, Ireland, Bulgaria and Slovenia.
And among all these stories, it is worth highlighting perhaps the most prominent Australian of Slovenian heritage – Tanya Plibersek. Not only as a cabinet minister, but as one of the strongest advocates for women’s rights in the country. - What can we do?
International Women’s Day is not a day when we wait for the world to improve. It is a day when we ask ourselves what we can do:
Conclusion
International Women’s Day is not a celebration of perfection, but of courage. The courage of the women who fought before us, and the courage we need today – women and men – to build a world where the dignity of every person is untouchable.
And we must not forget something that is incredibly precious for our community here in Australia: the countless hours of volunteer work carried out over decades by women in Slovenian clubs and organisations, including here in Sydney. In clubs such as Triglav and SDS, in organisations such as HASA and the Slovenian‑Australian Chamber of Commerce, and in media such as the former Slovenian program on SBS and now radio VOSA, it has often been women who held the community together – with their time, knowledge, energy and heart.
Without their work, the Slovenian community in Australia would be less connected, less vibrant and less visible. That is why today is also an opportunity to thank all the women who have spent decades building bridges between Slovenia and Australia, between generations, between families and between cultures.