Once upon a time, women’s magazines built their empires on telling women what they weren’t.
Cue America Ferrera’s now infamous monologue from the Barbie movie: “You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas. You’re supposed to love being a mother, but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time.” Et cetera, et cetera, and et cetera forever and ever.
But in recent years, the tone has shifted. Instead of fuelling insecurity, they’re leaning into empowerment: championing education, ambition, creativity, and confidence.
Leading the charge is marie claire, editor Georgie McCourt.
Her focus on International Day of the Girl reflects the magazine’s modern mission – moving beyond glossy covers and leaning into conversations that matter.
This morning, she’s waking up after hosting another of the magazine’s signature events – not just a gathering, but one with real weight behind it.
The event, entitled ‘Rewrite Her Future’ and in support of World Vision’s 1000 Girls campaign, heard stories from actor, and author Maria Thattil, MasterChef star Kishwar Chowdhury and rugby trailblazer and proud Kamilaroi woman Mahalia Murphy, each sharing their lived experiences and perspectives.
For McCourt, that kind of personal storytelling is what makes their events so meaningful. “I think hearing those perspectives, personal stories, and experiences in person really changes your perspective.”
“It’s all about connection,” McCourt told Mediaweek. “We know that we are one of the loneliest generations of all time, and you only really feel something when you’re listening to someone speak in person and you’re having that real moment of connection.”
For McCourt, the issue of championing girls is both professional and personal.
“marie claire is all about style and substance and while I love the style part, the thing that I love most about marie claire is the substance part and we spend all year championing women. But what I’m also really passionate about is championing girls because they’re the future generations that we need to take care of,” she said.
With two daughters aged 11 and 12, she admits the subject is close to home. “It’s an issue very close to my heart. This year we’re working with World Vision, which is honestly quite a career highlight for me because I’m so passionate about helping girls have a better future.”
Finding purpose
McCourt’s belief in purpose-driven work is also what drew her to marie claire in the first place.
After years working for other fashion titles, she said she needed something deeper. “They just didn’t connect with me anymore and I was looking for somewhere where my work could be more purpose-focused. marie claire is a brand that has been talking about advocacy in Australia for 30 years and using the word advocate long before advocate was even a word that people used.”
That sense of purpose is reflected in what she hopes for her own children.
“I don’t want them to be scared,” she said.
“I think a lot of us live in fear. So many women know that feeling of walking alone in a car park or down a dark road at night. I also want them to have confidence because I think so many women have imposter syndrome. I want them to know they have a right to be there,” she said.
For McCourt, the message is simple: championing girls today shapes tomorrow.
“We need to tell girls not to be scared to face their dreams, and to keep reminding them that they can do anything that they put their mind to,” she said.
Main image: Georgie McCourt