elcome!

I’m Narelle, and I’m here to share my study journey as I explore the world of politics, human rights and security, and peace with a gender perspective.

I am passionate about women’s rights and gender equality. I wanted to create a space I could write about these interests and facilitate discussion on how we, as a society and as individuals, can create more opportunities for women and girls. After all, women do represent half of the world’s population.

I don’t profess to be an expert in gender studies, but I am learning.

I am asking questions and contributing to the conversations that must be had surrounding equality and equal opportunity for all people.

The aim of my blog is for it to become a platform for learning and knowledge sharing, and help to breakdown “academic-speak” into more digestible, easy to understand pieces of information.

I encourage you to comment on my posts, share your experience, disagree with me and share your opinion.

I firmly believe that by challenging the status quo and participating in debates, rather than being polite and not discussing politics or complex issues, we can open our minds to possibilities and make a positive impact on the lives of people around us.

BACKGROUND

I have always enjoyed reading and learning, and looking back on my younger self I have always been a feminist who wanted to change the world. I must admit, in my early 20’s I hated that word and it’s not until my late 30’s did I start to embrace it. So, how I ended up an accountant managing a private equity firm in corporate Australia, I’m not entirely sure. But that is the path life took and it has led me to where I am today.

I have also dabbled in entrepreneurship by starting a handful of small businesses – a business advisory firm and a women’s membership for women with life experience. While I enjoyed the experience, I couldn’t imagine running them fulltime.

What they did do was reinforce my belief that women need a greater voice in society. We need more opportunities for equal participation and greater economic independence.

During this time I started attending a Mastermind group and Amanda, our facilitator, posed the question – What is your legacy? I have been pondering this ever since. This question has become one of the catalysts for looking to realign my professional life with my values of justice, equity and fairness.

Earlier in 2020, I decided to pursue my interest in politics, policy and gender studies and enrolled in a Master of International Affairs + Security at Murdoch University in Perth. By the end of the first seminar, I was hooked. Yes, I was nervous as to what I had gotten myself into, but the conversation, the topics and learning enthralled me.

When COVID-19 hit the globe like a tsunami, I discovered a course I’d be eyeing for a while, the Graduate Certificate of Gender Peace + Security at Monash University in Melbourne was going online for the year. So, four days before the class started, I enrolled.

I have since decided to make the switch from Murdoch to Monash and have received my acceptance to study a Master of International Relations at Monash, starting in 2021.

Thank you for joining me on this journey, and I look forward to discovering where this blog takes me.