UK in Australia launches ‘High Commissioner for a day’ competition

Winners from each location (Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney) will gain insights into what it is like to lead a diplomatic mission. They will get the opportunity to work alongside heads of office to get a ‘behind the scenes’ view of diplomacy, politics, trade and cultural exchange.

British High Commissioner to Australia Vicki Treadell said:

I am continually struck by the passion and dedication of young people I meet in my role. I am keen to hear new ideas and different perspectives – it’s energising! This competition offers young women a platform to outline what changes they would make to improve gender equality and the opportunity for us to learn from one another.

I would encourage all young women, including trans+, to enter the competition and start a conversation with my UK in Australia team.

To enter the competition applicants should submit a short video explaining how they would #ChooseToChallenge if they were High Commissioner for the day and what policies or initiatives they would recommend to make a difference. The competition is to mark International Women’s Day 2021 and support this year’s #ChooseToChallenge theme.

Applications are open to anyone who identifies as female, aged 16 to 22 and who is able to attend one of the UK missions (Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney) on or around Monday 8 March 2021.

A panel from the UKinAustralia team will select two winners per location (Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney) from all entries to the ‘Be a British High Commissioner for a Day’ competition. Winners will be announced on UKinAustralia social media channels.

This competition forms part of the UK Government’s efforts to increase its engagement with future leaders and builds on the Young Leader’s Network which The High Commissioner launched in November 2020.

Deputy Consul-General Melbourne, Catriona Boyd said:

This time last year, I was lucky enough to be listening to an excellent panel exploring the role of women in politics and business. A year on, something that sticks in my mind was a unanimous agreement that ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’.

It wasn’t until after a move to London in my early-20s that I discovered jobs like mine were available, and more importantly, accessible. If young people can only be what they can see, then it’s also important that we help them know where to look.

That’s why I’m excited to launch this competition and welcome a new generation of young women to the team for a day.