What better way to raise money for impoverished and subordinated women around the globe than to showcase the talent and freedom of female artists. The opening night of the Girls Helping Girls exhibition was both a testament to creative girls within Australia and the cause that it supports worldwide.

The opening night of Girls Helping Girls, had a wonderful energy of shared sisterhood. The show itself encouraged Australian women to submit a 2D artwork inspired by the phrase Girls Helping Girls. The sale price of the art sold is then be divided exactly between the Because I am a Girl campaign and the artists themselves, with no commissions in sight.

As people mingled, floating away with the bubbles in their flutes, I had a chance to admire the works adorning the walls. They were not just pretty, they reflected broader themes and often illustrated the collective struggle that is faced by not only by women, but by people in society as a whole.

A few inspiring guest speakers took the stage and really set the tone for the event. Plan advocate Lani Masuku and White Ribbon Ambassador Jeremy Meltzer, stood before the crowd and truly conveyed messages of power. Both speakers expressed that by empowering women we can statistically become closer to ending world poverty.

Admittedly, this is a cause close to my little heart for a couple of reasons. We are all, to some degree, products of our environment. I was lucky enough to flourish under the care of a mother who taught me just how important yet sometimes difficult, being a woman really is. At the exhibition I got to see my own mother, along with her sisters (literally and metaphorically), inspire and transpire change, through the power of their art.

The Girls Helping Girls opening night got me to thinking of how lucky I am to be born in a place where I am able to express who I am, without fear or boundaries. That is why I feel it necessary to celebrate my voice (to the utter dismay of my friends and family who are often victims of my fiery debates) and encourage the capabilities of women.

If you want heart with a beating heart, than go and feast your eyes upon the strength of your Australian sisters. See the Girls Helping Girls exhibition at the Jasper Hotel on Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, showing until the 5th of July.