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MENTAL HEALTH &
RESILIENCE
Mental Health and Resilience are topics that remain at the forefront of conversations every where from board room tables, to watercoolers and friendship circles.
We've selected a number of exceptional women who specialise in mental health, overcoming trauma and stress on a professional level, as well as some who have a lived experience overcoming adversity. These Speakers will spark important conversations and drive real positive change in your school, organisation and personal life.
If you'd like a Speaker that will leave a lasting impression at your International Women's Day event contact our expert team on 1300 799 823 or enquire here.
Photo: Damon Winter/The New York Times/ Redux
Monica Lewinsky is a social activist, a global public speaker, a consultant and Contributing Editor to Vanity Fair.
She advocates for a safer social media environment and addresses such topics as digital resilience, privacy, cultivating compassion, overcoming shame, and equality for women. Her 2014 essay for Vanity Fair Shame and Survival was nominated for a National Magazine Award and her March 2015 TED Talk, The Price of Shame has been viewed over 13 million times.
As a young woman, Amanda's curiosity led her to some of the world's most beautiful and remote places, its most imperilled and perilous countries and then into 15 months of harrowing captivity. Working as a journalist in Somalia, abducted by a group of masked men along a dusty road. Amanda spent 460 days as a hostage, surviving on strategy, Courage and hope in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Amanda's keynote presentations are for audiences of all sizes - from Richard Branson's living room to an arena of 20,000 - she creates intimacy with the women and men in the room through her emotional, compelling storytelling. Her tale of survival builds suspense and momentum to reveal life-changing insights into mind conditioning, including actionable takeaways about reframing stories of pain into power.
Manal al-Sharif has been listed as one of TIME Magazine's 100 most influential people and is a prominent voice advocating for women's rights and empowerment.
In 2011, al-Sharif co-founded and led the #Women2Drive movement, to challenge the ban on women driving in her home country of Saudi Arabia. She was arrested and imprisoned for "driving while female" and was released on the condition that she never drove again on Saudi lands and never to spoke about the experience or conduct any interviews. Ignoring these conditions Manal continued campaigning for #Women2Drive and #IAmMyOwnGuardian with the aim to end male guardianship in her country and in June of 2018 the Saudi government lifted the ban on women driving. As a result of her tireless activism, she was awarded the first Vaclav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent.
Gill Hicks is a well-known advocate for Sustainable Peace and a valuable resource in Countering Violent Extremism. This is a journey she began after being permanently injured in the London terrorist bombings on 7th July 2005, and yet Gill is much more than just a survivor.
Considered to be one of the most thought provoking, powerful and life affirming speakers in Australia and the UK, Gill has much to teach on the choice to react and respond to change.
Brooke Boney is a proud Gamilaroi Gomeroi Woman, Indigenous Affairs advocate and the entertainment reporter for the TODAY show. Brooke masterfully balances her trademark relaxed outward glow with an inward fierceness that was borne from a childhood of disadvantage. It’s that perfectly-pitched belly-fire which has shaped her poise and readiness in high-pressure live media environments. It’s not often you meet a journalist who can cover a political campaign trail as comfortably as they can cover the showbiz beat.
Brooke is passionate about igniting discussion around indigenous affairs and sharing her message with sensitivity to the slow and subtle pace of progress. Best of all, she’s doing it under the hopeful gaze of thousands of Indigenous youths across the country, who have someone to help them imagine themselves doing it too.
Sabina Read is passionate about normalising the universality of the human experience, believing that we all have more in common than we often realise.
As a psychologist and social commentator, Sabina assists others to accept that we all possess the power of choice, and she shares evidence-based, yet practical, strategies to help manage the stress that can overwhelm us all. Recognising the power of belonging and connection, Sabina also provides tangible take-away tools on how to develop thriving relationships, both personally, and professionally for leaders and teams.
Kylie van der Veer has shared her journey of recovering from a life-threatening eating disorder on A Peace of Nourishment, a documentary she expected to last a year. However, as she discovered, recovery cannot be scheduled.
Resilience and mental health make up just some of the discussions Kylie aims to start through her advocacy.
Sam Bloom suffered a devastating accident while holidaying with her family in Thailand. Her spine was shattered in two places, her lungs were ruptured and she had bleeding in the brain.
Sam's treatment and therapy were extremely slow and she was faced with the daunting prospect of never walking again. A chance encounter with an injured magpie chick, dubbed Penguin, was to change her attitude, her recovery and save her family. Sam's story is one of the power of the human spirit. She tells it set against a backdrop of stunning visuals as she takes you through a roller coaster of emotions on her remarkable journey. It is a unique and moving experience with no holds barred.
Madeline Stuart , Rosanne's only child, was born 22 years ago with Down syndrome and has faced prejudice and many battles to be the best version of herself. Now, Madeline is the world’s first successful professional adult model with Down syndrome and has completed her seventh appearance at New York Fashion Week.
Madeline and Rosanne are advocates for inclusivity and diversity, not just on the runway but throughout society. The pair are available for 'In Conversation' style events with an approved moderator.
Learn more about Madeline & Rosanne>
Dr Charlotte Keating is a well-known Australian psychologist and passionate advocate for the mental health of young people. She takes a contemporary view on how to treat the developing brain, as well as educating parents and executives about managing stress and optimising their personal and working lives.
Charlotte has a PhD in neuroscience related to anxiety, depression and body image disorders. Charlotte's scientific understanding of how the brain works, enables her to provide accessible, empowering insights into why we think, and do the things we do.
Khadija Gbla is a very passionate and inspiring African Australian woman. She is an award-winning human rights activist, inspirational speaker, facilitator and consultant. She has displayed great courage and determination in achieving her aspirations of giving women, youth and minority groups a voice at a local, state and international level.
Khadija provides advocacy, training, speaking on domestic and family violence, racism, human rights, refugees and cultural diversity through her cultural consultancy. She is the survivor advocate protecting Australian girls from FGM and supporting survivors of FGM and utilises her powerful and inspired voice to advocate for equality.
Jules Allen is a remarkable Australian who has been guided by the philosophy that “your greatest adversity in life is your greatest gift.”
Her message centres on accepting life’s challenges and using them as springboards for positive change. Jules’s troubled beginnings created the foundation for her expertise in this field. Having experienced a childhood of sexual abuse, addiction, and domestic violence, Jules made the decision not to let these define her. She went on to foster 32 children, gain a Masters in Sociology and become an award winning Youth Advocate. Her TEDx Melbourne presentation, Gifts in Shitty Wrapping Paper, received a standing ovation. There is a lot to be admired in Jules Allen and a lot to learn from.
Jessica Rowe AM is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness, having herself experienced post natal depression. Jess is an ambassador for Beyond Blue and a patron of Mental Health Australia.
An accomplished journalist, television presenter and three-time best selling author, Jessica utilises her platform to ask her audience to accept the power of being vulnerable, of seeking help, and to be bold and brave in all areas of your life.
