I grew up with inspiring female role models in my family and community who have dedicated their lives to working for the rights, dignity and  empowerment of women and girls : here and globally.

Front and centre amongst these impressive women was Susan Ryan AO, my aunt, my friend and my mentor.  Susan died suddenly last September, still fighting for the rights of vulnerable women. My husband (Warwick)  and I want to honour her commitment to women everywhere.

And Why this Walk?? We will walk with UN Women  because it was Susan who introduced us to this organization as one we should support, We will walk because we need to do something positive with our grief. We will walk because  we want to  push back against the inadequate support for refugees being given in our name by our political  leaders. We will walk because (as Susan and others told me often) if you support, educate and empower the woman, you do the same for her family.

Think of  young Minara : her story reflects the reality of hundreds of thousands of women caught in one of the worlds fastest growing refugee crises. Minara is just 24 years old, and she along with her family traversed unimaginable hardships to find safety in the Coxs Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh. But safety is still a relative term for her.

On Minara's list of priorities are income-generating opportunities, better food and education for her daughter, and a secure place to live when the rains come. Since attending UN Womens Centre at the camp, Minara has learnt to tailor and is building a social network as an outreach worker. She encourages other women and girls to come to UN Womens Centres to learn, stay safe and build a community. She also helps pregnant women reach relief distribution points and carries relief items for them. She has learned to speak up and now presents the issues of other Rohingya women refugees to the authorities in charge of the day-to-day management of the camp.

So of course most of all we are walking  for Minara, her family - and all those with her.

Thank you for your support 

Sally Greenaway and Warwick Benson