Why International Women’s Day has ‘never meant much’ to Priyanka Bromhead

Priyanka Bromhead has dedicated her career to supporting women, but she’s never felt included in a day devoted to the same cause.

Looking around a packed conference room, Priyanka Bromhead noticed an all too familiar problem.

Despite being at a “women in leadership” seminar, there were more men in the audience than there were melanated women.

“That just didn’t sit right with me,” she told news.com.au. “I decided if these people weren’t going to pass the mic on to us, or invite us to their tables, that I’d make one for myself.”

So Priyanka took matters into her own hands, launching we are the mainstream collective (WATM), an organisation that focuses on centring the voices and stories of black women, Indigenous women and women of colour.

The collective hosts regular events exclusively for and run by women of colour and this year is hosting its inaugural International Women’s Day event, a particularly poignant moment for Priyanka.

Priyanka Bromhead, founded we are the mainstream in 2019, after noticing women of colour were not represented enough. Picture: Supplied

“International Women’s Day has never really meant much to me because I’ve never seen myself represented in any of the events, panels, or organisations,” she said.

“However, we are the mainstream capitalised on IWD in 2020 to bring together First Nations, gender diverse and women of colour.

“It was extremely successful and continues to be a platform that amplifies marginalised folk of colour, provide space to discuss the uncomfortable and dismantle white heteropatriarchy.”

The teacher, who lives and works on Darug land, says forging the community has not been without its challenges, but she was motivated by her drive for change.

“Systemic exclusion and underrepresentation is the history of this country called Australia, as well as many others known for being a part of imperialism,” she said.

“The system was designed to keep certain members of the demographic at the top and others out.”

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Growing up in Australia as the daughter of refugees who fled state-sponsored genocide from the island known as Sri Lanka, Priyanka forged a career as a teacher, but says she found it difficult to flourish.

She felt restricted by an industry that had an “autocratic leadership” and after 15 years, made the decision to leave during a period of maternity leave.

“I realised that I am worth more than the exhausting 60-80 hours of teaching, marking, assessing and reporting, all while having awful environmental conditions, autocratic leadership and poor pay that drove myself and many staff to mental and physical illness.”

The organisation hosts regular events exclusively for and run by women of colour. Picture: Supplied

The community is thriving and hitting milestones. Picture: Supplied

While she still teaches literacy and creative writing workshops, Priyanka’s focus has fully shifted to the collective, which, despite launching just two years ago, has already hit major milestones.

As well as hosting regular events, WATM has built a community dedicated to healing intergenerational trauma.

It also facilitates in-school workshops that build literacy and wellbeing outcomes, and corporate cultural awareness training.

Priyanka says starting the 100 per cent volunteer-led organisation has been a financial adjustment, but one that was entirely worth it.

“My new day job pays less but that’s OK because my mental health is more important, as is spending time on nurturing my relationships and creative ventures.”

WATM’s first International Women’s Day event is being held virtually on March 26 rather than March 8 to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

“No longer is it acceptable to put all women under the same umbrella, and celebrate IWD at the expense of those silenced by systemic imbalances,” she said.

“It is imperative that conversations around women’s rights extend into broader conversations about race, class, ability, sexuality, religion and gender distinction.”

Tickets cost $50 and can be purchased here.

Originally published as Why International Women’s Day has ‘never meant much’ to Priyanka Bromhead