It was great to attend the Be Bold Be Heard celebration forum and presentation last month to see the cumulation of work undertaken by female students across our Geelong region.

The students engaged in the Be Bold Be Heard forum and program learn about leadership and are empowered to drive change to address gender gap issues at school while enhancing their student voice.

The forum provides a vital space for young women to collaborate, share ideas and build the confidence they need to advocate for fairer and more inclusive school environments.

It is a project that truly empowers girls to seek better outcomes within their school and encourages them to recognise challenges, develop solutions and take meaningful action.

I would like to make a special mention of and congratulate the students from Bellarine Secondary College, Indy Johnson, Grace Macdonald, Kieley Delbridge and Mackenzie Killen, who participated and presented in this program.

They tackled the challenge of better supporting girls in the PE and sporting environment at school, but they also encouraged and brought the boys along on that journey to encourage positive and lasting change.

Their engagement and willingness to step up in growth and grow in confidence, which I was able to witness when they presented, just highlighted the strength and the potential of their leadership.

I congratulate all the girls on their achievement.