For the first time in history, more commemorative places in Victoria were named after women than men

Let that sink in.

On #IWD2025 Geographic Names Victoria announced that in 2024, Victoria made a powerful statement gazetting 57% of all new commemorative place names of women—women from all walks of life, backgrounds, and contributions. From streets and parks to pavilions, community centres, and even public art, 31 new places now carry the names of women who changed lives and shaped communities.

One of those places? Sika Way, Footscray

Named after Sika Kerry OAM, a trailblazer who became the first female councillor in the 113-year history of Footscray City Council. When she arrived in Australia, she didn’t speak English. Twenty-five years later, she was elected to lead. Her tireless advocacy for migrants, women, and community cohesion helped shape a more inclusive west Melbourne. She pioneered multilingual services and turned a local shop into a mini-library with books in dozens of languages—because knowledge, like belonging, should be for everyone.

Sika’s story is one of many. But there are countless more—who’ve made a lasting mark. Like the more than 200 women featured in the Victorian Women’s Trust Ordinary Women Extraordinary Lives, the 30,000 women who signed the women’s suffrage or Monster Petition or the 100s of women inducted into the Victoria Women’s Honour Roll and other honour rolls

And here’s where you come in.

We’ve come far—17 places named after women in 2023, just 8 in 2022, and now 31 in 2024. If this momentum continues, we’re on track to reach the Victorian Government’s target: 70% of new commemorative place names honouring women. This will help close the commemorative gap where just 1 in 10 commemorative places in Vic are named after women.

But we can’t do it without you.

You know her name.
Your mother. Your aunty. Your grandmother.
A teacher, a neighbour, a mentor—someone who lit a path for others like those in the links above

Through the Remember a Local, Name a Place initiative, your nomination helps build local name banks that local councils can draw from when naming new streets, buildings, or parks. Every name adds to the visibility of women in our public spaces—making them safer, more inclusive, and more reflective of our true history.

Because representation isn’t just symbolic—it’s transformative.