Not many people strive to be an inspirational figurehead. Sometimes they’re just a hard worker and its their earnest ambition which makes them inspirational.
Other times, they are the victim of a tragic accident and in their refusal to be crushed, they move and inspire people in a way they never anticipated.
In honour of such women, we’ve gathered Australia’s finest – from journalists to domestic violence survivors, meet some of Australia’s most inspirational women.
Since suffering burns to 65 per cent of her body while competing in an ultramarathon, Turia has gone from strength to strength. After over 200 surgeries, the wonder woman has competed in Ironman competitions and will lead a trek to Everest Base Camp this month to help Interplast provide free reconstructive surgery to people in Asia-Pacific.
Rosie was involved in a devastating tragedy when her only child, 11-year-old Luke, was murdered by his dad. Her advocacy for domestic violence victims started the very next day when she told reporters, “I want to tell everybody that family violence happens to everybody, no matter how nice your house is, no matter how intelligent you are.”
She has since become an activist to call for systemic change.
Germaine is perhaps the most inspiring feminist of the 20th century. Her book The Female Eunuch sold out of its 5000 copies on the first day. Her argument that women are forced to assume submissive roles in society to please the male fantasy was controversial and provocative in 1970 and her fight for female liberation has massively progressed the state of feminism.
Can you be any more inspiring than becoming a country’s first female Prime Minister? Often the odd one out as a female in parliament, she fought for gender equality.
“Calling [sexism] out is not playing the victim. I have done it and I know how it made me feel. Strong. I am nobody’s victim. What is the alternative? Staying silent? So sexism is never named, never addressed, nothing ever changes?”
When Ita created the iconic Cleo magazine, it was revolutionary for the Australian market. It spoke to young women liberated by the contraception, job opportunities and a changing world. The first edition of 105,000 copies sold out in just two days and featured a nude male centrefold with a sealed section that covered masturbation, sex toys and contraception – topics that were still taboo in general society.
Australia began to notice Nova when she became the first Aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic gold medal with the 1996 women’s hockey team. She later switch to athletics and competed in the 1998 Commonwealth Games and 2000 Olympic Games. If that wasn’t enough, in 2012 she was elected as the first ever indigenous woman to be elected to Parliament and uses her platform to shine a light on the racism she faces regularly.
When Lisa became the editor of Dolly at just 21, she had only two years’ experience under her belt. “I didn’t go to private school, so I didn’t have any old school tie to fall back on and I had no contacts anywhere. So I thought I’m going to have to make up for that in sheer hard work. I put my head down and my bum up, and worked hard.” It’s definitely worked in her favour with Lisa remaining a media powerhouse 30 years on.
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