March 8th is dedicated to celebrating International Women’s Day, a global event celebrating the achievements of women everywhere.
Here at The Pier Geelong, we recognise that the day primarily symbolises equality, but also unity and action.
We chat with Emily Portinari, one of our incredible function supervisors and asked her thoughts on Intentional Women’s Day.
What does International Woman’s Day mean to you?
To me international women’s day is a day to appreciate and reflect on women’s achievements and to celebrate how far women have come. I grew up believing I could do whatever the boys could do however it’s not always been like that in the past and it is very important to know how much things have change in the last 100 years but also to realise that there is still a lot more to be done.
Can you name a women in your work place that has been a mentor or inspiration? why?
I have been very lucky to have worked with so many inspirational women from the time I entered the work force. I think the mentor that stands out the most for me at the moment is my current boss, Ruby. She is someone who genuinely wants to see myself and everyone around her succeed. She is a constant support which in turn has made me strive to be the same with my staff.
If you could have dinner with any woman – living or passed, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
I think I would choose Ellen Degeneres. She is constantly reminding everyone to be kind and to be true to yourself. With her courage she risked her career by coming out with her sexuality and it ended up working out better than anyone could have imagined. I think we live in a world where the perception of perfection is so highly regarded we need to remember that no one is truly perfect and you will be a lot happier being yourself. People are all different, people have different values and beliefs but either way the message Ellen sends is to be kind to everyone . And.. dinner with Ellen would not be short of laughter.
What do you think is the most pressing issue for women in 2019?
I think the most pressing issue for women presently is the pressure to be perfect. Social media has its benefits however the biggest downfall is that people are always posting the best parts of their lives. We see people at there best at all times, which in turn makes it so hard for everyone when things aren’t going perfectly in life. Everyone has their own problems and issues but that’s not what we scroll through and see everyday. I think we all need to remember that life has it’s ups and it’s down, we all go through it and that’s what balances us out and makes us better people in the future.
Emily pictured with Philmah Bocks during a special Pier wedding
