Are Media has hosted its annual marie claire International Women’s Day Breakfast presented in partnership with Kate Spade New York and supported by Laser Clinics Australia, Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand, and Redken Haircare.
In attendance from Are Media were people such as director of sales Andrew Cook, customer director Sally Eagle, general manager Jane Waterhouse, and The Australian Women’s Weekly editor Nicole Byers. They shared the room with people like founding editor of marie claire Australia Jackie Frank, former politician and lawyer Julia Banks, consent activist Chanel Contos, media personalities Shane Janek (Courtney Act), Jessica Rowe, Sally Obermeder and Belinda Russell, Paralympian Ellie Cole, actress Krew Boylan, fashion designer Camilla Freeman-Toppper and model Cheyenne Tozzi.
The event was hosted by marie claire editor Nicky Briger, who began by playing a video that recapped the last 12 months and some of the highlights (and lowlights) for women. She also mentioned that this time last year all of her bosses were men, but for the first time in her 35 year career she was working under a woman – Are Media CEO Jane Huxley, who was in attendance, took up the position in April 2021.
The first panellist up for the morning was advocate for survivors of sexual assault, Brittany Higgins. She spoke about going from an anonymous staffer to a household name so quickly, and the impact that telling her story has had on her.
“It’s a strange thing to be known for the worst thing that has ever happened to you but I appreciate that it’s a privilege to be heard,” she told Briger.
Brittany Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson
Next up was the duo of 2022 Australian of the Year and Paralympian tennis star Dylan Alcott and his partner, award-winning sexologist and author Chantelle Otten.
First up, Briger addressed the “elephant in the room” that was the fact that Alcott is the first male speaker the marie claire International Women’s Day Breakfast has had. Alcott revealed he was originally going to turn the offer to speak at the breakfast down, but attending events on International Day of People with Disability and seeing able-bodied people speak changed his mind.
The pair spoke about their relationship, their decision to be as visible as possible, and the discrimination that people with disabilites face in Australia.
“Dylan has taught me a lot about love and real, true relationships,” Otten said. “Patience, communication, we are just two normal human beings learning along the way.”
Former CEO of Australia Post and workplace safety and equality advocate Christine Holgate followed, and began by thanking senator Sarah Hanson-Young (who was in attendance) for leading the inquiry into her case.
Christine Holgate and Sarah Hanson-Young
“I’m trying to stand up and fight for something that’s right,” she said. “Unfortunately not everyone supports you in your journey, but you have to be careful that those demons don’t take over. If we don’t do it, it’s not going to happen and then we will live a life of regret.”
In her first event since the birth of her daughter, Grace, actor and author Miranda Tapsell spoke about facing racism throughout her life, and how she hopes things will be easier for Grace as she grows. She also spoke about the importance of seeing yourself represented in media, and how she got into the television industry.
Rounding out the morning was TV presenter and journalist Lisa Wilkinson, speaking about some of the topics that she has covered in her book, It Wasn’t Meant To Be Like This.
She told the story of how she met Kerry Packer for the first time while drenched and covered in seagull droppings, her now infamous move from Channel Nine to Channel 10, and why people like Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame (both sitting at the table closest to the stage) made her feel so optimistic about the future.
Wilkinson ended by speaking about how Higgins inspired her to tell her own story in an emotional moment to close the morning.
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Top Image: Miranda Tapsell, Lisa Wilkinson, Chantelle Otten, Brittany Higgins, Dylan Alcott and Christine Holgate