Farah Mak proves you should never underestimate the power of offering someone, even a stranger, a simple act of kindness through comfort.
She recalls sitting outside a Victorian court feeling lonely and confused, when a support worker from Safe Steps asked if she’d like someone to sit with her.
“She put her arm around me, and then she held my hand. It was like having my mum there,” Farah says.
Farah doesn’t remember her name. But she remembers the moment and the impact it had on her.
A survivor of domestic and family violence who spent seven years battling through the court system before being able to rebuild her life, the moment proved so powerful for Farah that she decided she would get involved in Safe Steps when she was ready, to see how she too could help other people in those moments.
Farah now has a public career as a speaker, on stage, and on screen, where she plays the character of Katrina Marshall on Neighbours.
She shared her first encounter with Safe Steps on The Women’s Agenda Podcast, published today to mark National Family Violence Remembrance Day, and as Safe Steps prepares to host their Candlelight Vigil tonight (7 May 2025), at the Family Violence Memorial Garden in Melbourne, honouring the lives lost to family and domestic violence.
It takes seven to 12 attempts for a victim to leave their abuser, according to Safe Steps, highlighting the vital need for strong, accessible support services.
Farah knows all too well the long years survivors can spend leaving a relationship, rebuilding their lives and going through the court system, often while supporting and caring for young children and other family members in the process. She spent seven years battling through the legal process, having been trapped in an abusive relationship herself that saw her becoming a victim of coercive control, verbal abuse and physical violence.
But she’s keen for others to see her story as an example of hope, and the possibilities for survivors when support is available.
Now married and a mother of four, Farah wants to break the stigma of family violence and is advocating for greater awareness of the need for legislative reform to support survivors.
Farah founded The Self-Worth Movement to help do that and educate, inspire, and empower women and girls worldwide to know their worth and share strategies for cultivating self-worth and rebuilding resilience.
In our discussion, she shared how she learnt to cultivate self-worth and resilience, especially supporting herself and her kids during her years in the court system.
“I think it’s finding that fine line, holding on to that inner strength, staying steadfast in your values and holding on to the fact that you are worthy. And that your children are worthy,” she said.
“For me, it was really about wanting a better future for my children, so being a role model for them, if I kept that in my mind, visualising our future and knowing this is the kind of life that I want for my children and for myself and what we deserve.
And asked what needs to change, especially with a new government pending, Farah says politicians could start by simply talking about family and domestic violence, noting how little was shared during the election campaign. But the real changes come with better resourcing services. before resourcing more services.
“I’d like to see that politicians, and our leaders, actually start talking about it and taking action behind their words.
“There is a real lack of resources at the end of the process, in the healing and empowerment piece. So, for example, you walk out of court, whatever the outcome has been, again, you’re lost. You don’t know what to do. How do I start again? How do I rebuild? So I think there should be some sort of empowerment program for survivors and children.
“But first and foremost, politicians need to start talking about it and then change because it’s not even a gendered violence issue, it’s a community issue. It touches everybody, and it’s from all walks of life.”
Farah also believes there’s more work that can be done to break the cycle of violence, especially for children. “If we educate children, support children and young people, this is where Safe Steps I know are doing a lot of work around that space at the moment, and that’s where the cycle is broken,” she says.
You can listen to the full conversation with Farah on the Women’s Agenda Podcast on iTunes or Spotify.
Please note, the Safe Steps Candlelight Vigil is on May 7. Check out the website to learn more.
If you need help and advice, call 1800Respect at 1800 737 732, Men’s Referral Service at 1300 766 491, or Lifeline at 13 11 14.