It has helped Australia to define itself, it has raised our self-awareness and made it easier for us to judge what to build on and what to change. It is our reality. Each wave of arrivals has given Australia new ambitions, new skills, new energy. And, of course, new cultures, new ways of living, new ideas. Australia has been made stronger, richer, in every sense, more outward looking.
Theses are the lasting contributions to our shared life.
These are the strengths in our diversity. There have been few attempts to disentangle the specific experiences and contributions of women from diverse cultures. Yet theses are the experiences of almost one third of Australian women. I'll approach this topic in three parts. First to discuss cultural diversity in relation to women's identities and experiences within Australian society.