MARCH FORWARD – TOGETHER WE CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS, 8 March, 2025
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN”S DAY EVERYONE!
March 8th is always a deeply personal time for me. As this day unfolds, I reflect on the journey that has shaped me. This day is bittersweet. Seven years ago, I was in Austin Hospital undergoing surgery for bowel cancer while my FFTN team carried out an International Women’s Day event in collaboration with Manningham City Council. At the time, I could never have imagined the incredible journey that lay ahead.
Looking back, I am filled with gratitude—for the resilience that carried me through, the people who stood by me, and the opportunities that have allowed me to uplift others. International Women’s Day is not just a reminder of my personal journey but a celebration of the collective power of women everywhere. Together, we continue to move forward, inspire, and create change.
This commitment to empowering and connecting women remains at the heart of all I do.
This past week, in my role as the Founder and Chair of Food For Thought NetworkI hosted the First Global IWD event on Zoom and was honoured to be the guest speaker at AGAPI Care’s International Women’s Day celebration, together with Patron Distinguished Professor Vasso Apostolopoulos. I also attended several other inspiring events in good company with FFTN members and friends, including:
– Team Agape’s fundraiser for Beyond Blue, with our incredible friend and FFTN supporter Dr. Magdalene Simonis.
– The HACCI event addressing domestic violence, featuring a powerful panel led by Professor Alex Christou, Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Chair of Respect Victoria and Sylvia Hadjiantoniou, CEO of PRONIA,
-Manningham City Council’s event with guest speaker Dr. Fulu and finally today
– an event on Community Activism organised by long life FFTN supporter Anthea Sidiropoulos, featuring 3 other friends and supporters of FFTN Maria Dimopoulos AM, Maria Vamvakinou and Emily Dimitriadis, honouring my compatriot, the late Sofia Mastoris.
Happy International Women’s Day! Here’s to lifting each other up, today and always.
Varvara Athanasiou-Ioannou AM,
Founder and Chair of FFTN
