2021 WOMEN OF THE YEAR

“I started the year with a lot of naivety, and I’ve realised that it’s dirty out there”

GRACE TAME

Ask Grace Tame to sum up 2021 and the Australian of the Year’s initial response is typically candid and unapologetic: “I. Am. Tired.” And no wonder. Since her impassioned acceptance speech captured the attention of the nation on January 25, the advocate for survivors of child sexual assault has become a powerhouse of progress, her stance igniting a reckoning for the women of Australia. Just don’t expect her to take any credit for it.

While acknowledging the “seismic shift in the conversation” on sexual abuse, Tame insists she is “just one domino” in the contribution. “I stand on the shoulders of giants,” she says. “Brittany Higgins, Chanel Contos, Julia Banks and Christine Holgate are all women who’ve bravely stood up against abuse culture in all its forms. And there are so many unsung heroes. I share all my achievements with a huge collective.”

While her tenure as Australian of the Year is drawing to a close – a shift she says will provide relief – the fight is far from over for Tame, who hopes to overhaul legislation and education on child sexual abuse when she sets up the Grace Tame Foundation in 2022. Meanwhile, her legacy as one of the most profound and proactive recipients of the award will endure. “I think I started the year with a lot of naivety, and I’ve realised that it’s dirty out there,” she concedes. “But I’ve also learnt that one of the most important things about being an effective leader is knowing when to admit weakness and error, because there’s great strength in [that]. You have to know the difference between having power and empowering.”

BRITTANY HIGGINS

Brittany Higgins will never forget the year that was. And history won’t forget her. The former Liberal staffer will forever