For its final issue of 2021, the marie claire ‘Women of the Year’ issue features activists Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins on its cover, with leading game-changers and trailblazers including Ash Barty and Christine Holgate also making the list.
Since Tame’s impassioned Australian of the Year 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.
Meanwhile, Higgins will forever be synonymous with sparking a furious debate on gender-based violence and the sexual assault rife within Australian politics following her brave decision to publicly allege she was raped by a colleague inside Parliament House.
The two women have penned tributes about each other, speaking candidly about the fight for institutional change and their friendship.
In the 10-page ‘Women of the Year’ issue, marie claire honours nine women and also includes Olympic star swimmer Emma McKeon; former Australia Post CEO, Christine Holgate; Wimbledon tennis champ, Ash Barty; Paralympian Ellie Cole; the mother of the Biloela family of Tamil asylum seekers, Priya Murugappan; the women of Biloela who are holding the government to account on its treatment of the refugees; Chanel Contos, the former Sydney schoolgirl who went public with her story of teenage sexual assault and launched a petition calling on the government to overhaul sexual-consent education; and Charlee Fraser, the proud Awabakal woman who has built a career extending well beyond the fashion industry in her role as mentor for First Nations Fashion + Design.
Nicky Briger, editor of marie claire said: “Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins are catalysts for change and have led the conversation on the need for meaningful reform on the sexual exploitation of women and the urgent need for change. I’m delighted they are helming this important issue of marie claire, as well as sharing their touching tributes on their friendship.”
marie claire’s Women of the Year issue goes on sale Thursday 18 November.