'Beacons of hope': Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame grace the cover of Marie Claire

‘Beacons of hope’: Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame grace the cover of Marie Claire

Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame have appeared together on the cover of Marie Claire’s “Women of the Year” issue, with the magazine recognising them for their “bravery, honesty and smarts” this year.

Grace Tame was named 2021’s Australian of the Year for her advocacy for survivors of child sexual abuse, and former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins shot to national prominence this year after she bravely made the allegation that she was raped by a colleague at Parliament House in 2019.

Together, the two women have propelled a national conversation about sexual abuse and violence, as well as a debate about the treatment of women in parliament and the workplace.

“In the face of intense and ongoing scrutiny, they have led with compassion, embodied courage and spoken with conviction about their experiences of sexual assault and the institutional inaction they faced subsequently,” Marie Claire wrote about the cover stars.

“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 safety within Australian politics – and the workplace in general – following her brave decision to publicly allege she was raped by a colleague inside Parliament House.”

Tame and Higgins have developed a friendship this year, posting a photo to social media in the wake of the government’s Women’s Safety Summit. They said they held “our own” safety summit.

The cover has delighted social media, with many users noting what Higgins and Tame, and their advocacy, has meant to them this year.

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