Literary Competitions
Literary Competitions sponsored by Alitalia aimed at women of the first generation, provided many essays, the best of which were published in our second book- Forza E Coraggio.
The second Literary Competition was aimed at young women of the second generation and the best essays were published in our third publication – Growing Up Italian In Australia.
International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day on the 8th of March, is a special annual event to commemorate women who fought for their rights and for the rights of all women. On this occasion, the Association awards a prize to a woman of the older generation who has excelled in our community with her work and commitment to the welfare of the community, or to a promising young woman of the second generation who has excelled in the Australian community and has become a role model for other women.
Throughout the years, the prize for the Italian-Australian Woman of the Year has been awarded to:
Silvana Vidone, Marietta Ballini, Livia Bosi, Maria Paoloni, Ilaria Logi, Monica Pellizzari, Giulia Bonacina, Melina Marchetta, Vicky Fontana, Giulia Sirignani, Antonietta Carraro, Luisa Perugini, Enoe Di Stefano, Tessa e Bianca Porcheddu, Sorella Miriam, Sara Palazzolo, and Emma Alberici.
We also salute the outstanding women who shared their experiences and knowledge with us during the years
From Italy:
-Senator Elena Marinucci, Member of the Italian Senate
-Tina Anselmi, Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
-Prof. Neria De Giovanni: An academic who gave a special conference on Grazia Deledda, the only Italian woman who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
From New York, USA:
-Dr. Aileen Sirey, President of the National Italian-American Women’s Association
From Canada:
-Maria Minna, MP, Member of the Federal Parliament of Canada
Australian Members of Federal and State Parliaments
-Minister Sandra Nori MP
-Senator Connie Fierravanti-Wells
-Senator Margaret Reynolds
Special guests:
-Magistrate PAT O’SHANE
-Mrs HAZEL HAWKE
-Mrs MARGARET WHITLAM
During the years we have had conferences and talks on various subjects varying from Social Justice, Aboriginal Reconciliation, The Republican issue, an understanding of the Australian political system, the Social Security system, the Health system, Multiculturalism, Fighting Corruption at every level of society and Italian History, to name a few.
To this day, we have regular meetings throughout the year focusing on topics of interest to our members. The usual format entails a Guest Speaker of some eminence followed by questions and answers.Excursions to places of interest are organised at least twice a year. At Christmas we hold a luncheon for our members and friends with entertainment provided by professional Italian-Australian artists.