The Future Female Conference 2020
The Future Female Conference that took place in Victoria (Australia) last month, it has had an increase in registration in 2020 by five-fold in comparison to 2019. It has plans already for the next event in 2021 to exceed the 2020 participants.
The conference was an idea of Belle Lim, an international student, and was funded in partnership with Study Melbourne and Victoria University. The conference is run by a committee consisting of five past and current international students.
Lim, originally from Malaysia, said that after experiencing the cultural differences and cultural transition between her home country and Australia, she thought of a way to help her fellow international students and make their journeys more comfortable. Lim’s opinion is that especially young female students find it hard to advance and need a place to share their experience. For many international students, the Australian way of life and studying itself can be a culture shock. It can be difficult for some to express themselves, be confident in their opinions, and share them in classes.
The Future Female Conference is not only a space to share experiences, but it is also an opportunity to bring together mentors and their students. There are many inspiring women in Victoria and Australia who are role models for students. Lim aimed to bring them together, share the experience, and learn from them and each other. The students are inspired by the stories of the speakers and relate to their stories.
The conference attendees were also offered one-hour sessions with mentors, which proved popular with hundreds taking the opportunity to have a one-on-one talk with industry and business leaders. Students feel free to ask questions and advice from experienced business leaders as many of them are concerned about their future after university and employment, particularly women of a foreign origin.
While the first conference was held in Victoria in 2019, due to pandemic this year’s event was online, attracting more than 1,100 participants, including those stranded overseas who would not be present physically. The increase of attendees of the event in just two years shows a high demand for mentoring. The organisers are aware that the help in mentoring and communication is needed all year round; therefore, the ongoing plans will include profiling different organizations and talks from various mentors.
There has also been a creation of a Facebook group after the event’s success that allows students to share and connect via social media. Plans for Future Female Conference 2021 are already undergoing and will be a blend of online and in-person delivery, subject to pandemic and funding development.
