The power of having a voice with Kemiso Matlho

Posted on 30 July, 2019

Kemiso Matlho is a powerhouse. When it comes to young people and leadership, she is a voice that needs to be heard. 

Kemiso will be bringing her wealth of knowledge and unique insight to YWCA Canberra’s upcoming She Leads Conference.

At the event, she will be facilitating a panel discussion on the obstacles and social and cultural expectations women face in the workplace and how to achieve achieving career goals.

We caught up with Kemiso to chat about the strength of young people and their voice, diversity and hard conversations.

What is the importance of including young voices in conversations about taboo topics?

I’m of the opinion it is unhelpful to mark any one topic as taboo. Following societal standards of appropriateness impedes on the possibility for growth, understanding and the opportunity for increased connection.

The characteristics of young people make them essential in any discussion that impacts them. Most importantly is the fact that young people have to live under the consequences of any decision made about a subject, even if it’s discomfort results in avoidance or dismissal.

What we do and don’t discuss is just as important as how those things are spoken about. Inclusion of key stakeholders shouldn’t be optional.

Secondly, young people are the most agile and uninhibited age group. Young people have the ability to more frank, open and honest, even when talking about difficult things. We’ve got so much to learn and are still developing our belief systems.

This is an asset – we have an increased ability to change our minds, the minds of others and change the status quo about that topic. Comparatively, we may be more comfortable with these discussions and bring different perspectives, varied life experience and unique insights.

What is a difficult conversation Australia needs to have?

If you’d asked me when I first moved to Australia, I would’ve said its difficult history with the Indigenous population. I might’ve said the same thing last year.

I’ve been thinking about what it means to be Australian, and I’ve come to the conclusion that even Australians aren’t sure. I want everyone to question whether they believe in “Australian-ness”? What does it look like? Why is it important? Who is excluded in that narrative? How is it unique to other cultures or citizenships? How do you manage multiculturalism? Are you asking for assimilation under the guise of progressive acceptance? Is it simply delusion?

If you could direct $100m in the next Federal Budget somewhere, where would you send it?

Sexual health, sexuality and relationship education programs. The ideas we develop around sex and relationships follow us through to adulthood and the rest of our lives. There are so many programs that could be redesigned and integrated to empower individuals and help the development of healthier relationships.

If you were Prime Minister for a day, what three things would you change first?

1. Increasing the number of diverse individuals in leadership roles. The spaces available for women, especially those from indigenous and culturally diverse backgrounds, as the priority. Choosing to be colour-blind is systematic bias.
2. Close offshore detention camps.
3. Currently, there are far too many cases where domestic abuse is unnecessarily prolonged with a delay in the provision of helpful intervention or protections. I would improve preliminary stages for reporting and the judicial processes when dealing with domestic abuse cases.

What has been the best piece of advice a mentor has given you so far?

Any time I’m tempted towards avoidance or apathy, the words I remember are, “not doing anything is a decision in itself”. It helps me overcome any fears or anxieties I have. It reminds me that small acts can have a big impact.

What will you be speaking about at YWCA Canberra’s 2019 She Leads Conference?

I will be facilitating a panel of incredibly high-achieving women. We will be discussing the ways in which workplaces across industries could improve by removing obstacles that women face. The panel will be dissecting how social and cultural expectations influence the workplace.

My questions to the panel will revolve around hurdles they have had to overcome to achieve their career goals. My hope is that we are able to provide practical steps allies and workplaces can adopt to better accommodate people with diverse backgrounds.

The panellists are a selection of highly accomplished women from different fields, bringing unique insights about their experiences in the workplace. I’m honoured to be able to join them in this conversation.

After having lived in three other countries before Australia, Canberra has become Kemiso’s home and place of study. Throughout her time in the capital, she has participated in various youth-focused leadership programs from multiple organisations.

Kemiso has had the opportunity to work within organisations such as UN Youth, Jasiri Australia and The Girls Leadership Network, which have all been instrumental in accelerating her leadership journey. Kemiso has been selected into youth programs such as the Trailblazer Fellowship and tGLN alumni board which has allowed her to continue to develop necessary and practical leadership skillsets. These experiences have also provided the mandatory space for Kemiso to establish and put into action her leadership type and abilities to act in decision-making roles within the organisations.

As a result, in 2018 Kemiso actively campaigned toward and contributed to, an open letter appeal by various women groups and youth-led organisations, addressed to every state Premier and various high-level politicians that successfully led to the decision to remove the GST on menstrual products.

Kemiso’s ability to be vocal and passionate alongside her desire to engage in difficult or taboo conversations have not only become strengths but continue to encourage her in her work related to empowerment and activism roles. Kemiso has facilitated and spoken on panels surrounding young women in leadership, the importance of diverse women in leadership and the body positivity movement.

the essentials

What: YWCA Canberra’s 2019 She Leads Conference, an empowering conference centred on the theme of women supporting one another to thrive
When: Friday 2 August from 9.00 am–5 pm. A networking function will also be held the night before, on Thursday 1 August.
Where: QT Canberra
Website: ywca-canberra.org.au/event/2019-she-leads-conference

HerCanberra is a proud media partner of YWCA Canberra’s 2019 She Leads Conference. As a part of this partnership, HerCanberra is offering readers 10% off the She Leads Conference Networking event to be held Thursday 1 August at Lucky’s Speakeasy, QT Canberra. Use the code HERCAN on checkout to redeem your discount.  

Held at QT Canberra on Friday 2 August 2019, the She Leads Conference is set to attract a range of women leaders, including female-identifying and non-binary people, at all stages of their leadership journeys, from a variety of fields.

The Conference centres around the theme ‘Thrive’ and includes a diverse and full program of keynote speeches, panels and networking activities that will build your capacity to thrive in your community or workplace while supporting other women alongside you.

The 2019 She Leads Conference also includes a networking and cocktail function the evening prior on Thursday 1 August, providing attendees with the opportunity to network with our incredible speakers and fellow attendees.

The complete program and speaker line-up available here.