In Marie Claire’s 20th edition, we look at two decades of stories that inspired you to take a stand.
You helped Australian women get paid maternity leave
In 2000, Australia’s treatment of working mothers was woeful- we were one of only two nations in the OECD that did not offer paid maternity leave. This spurred us on to begin an eight-year “Push It!” campaign for mandatory government funded paid maternity leave, which included countless stories, petitions and culminating in a 2008 street rally in Sydney’s Martin Place.
What you did: More than 350 of you joined our rally carrying placards with slogans that included “Paid Maternity Leave: Time To Deliver”. Thousands more of you signed petitions, and sent letters to leaders of the main political parties and your local MPs agitating for change.
Outcome: In June of 2010, legislation was passed on Australia’s first Paid Parental Leave scheme. The important role you all played in this historic event was recognised by the government in a letter acknowledging marie claire’s commitment to the cause.
You were a voice for women who had no voice
In May 2002, we ran a shocking story about Nigeria’s practice of death by stoning. We revealed the case of Amina Lawal who had a baby out of wedlock and was found guilty of adultery. The sentence? To be buried up to her neck and have stones thrown at her until she was dead. More than 5000 of you wrote in to support her release and we took your Save Amina protests to the Nigerian High Commissioner. Thanks to you and many others around the world, Amina was freed.
You helped bridge the gap between black and white Australia
In May 2000, hundreds of thousands of Australians walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to show their support for reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. A year later, we asked our biggest names and brightest stars to help further the cause by joining our Reconciliation: Make A Difference campaign. The enthusiasm they showed for this cause was overwhelming with everyone from Natalie Imbruglia and Deborah Mailman to authors and sports stars and artists, all rejigging schedules to participate. Thousands of you purchased our bespoke T-shirts to raise money for stolen generation charities.
You got angry
Our investigation into the Yasmin (Yaz) contraceptive pill caused an uproar in 2013. We reported on stories about the bestselling pill’s links to worrying side effects from mood swings to heart attacks to blood clots. More disturbingly, we revealed that the drug’s manufacturer in the US had already paid out some $720 million in settlement claims. Authorities said they could not remove the product from the shelves here. You were outraged. Dozens of you sent us your own personal accounts of hardship, while many of you wrote to thank us for making you aware of the risks and potentially saving lives.
You raised thousands for heart charities
Most people assume that heart disease is linked only to older, overweight men. Yet heart disease kills one in four Australian women and is five times deadlier than breast cancer, making it the number one killer of Australian women. So in 2004, we set out to change this perception and raise awareness about heart disease by inviting the country’s top fashion designers to create red dresses to be auctioned off for charity.
The result was a merger of style and substance – the essence of marie claire’s DNA – and the start of our Red Dress campaign, which we have stayed committed to for 11 years. Over that time, you have raised thousands of dollars for heart health charities by passionately purchasing an array of unique Red Dress products from designer ballgowns to heart-influenced art pieces.
In 2015 alone, you raised $65,000 for the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute by supporting our Project Red capsule collection, sold through Cue stores.
You set the agenda
In 2000, we ran a survey asking the women of Australia about their dreams and aspirations. Thousands of you responded and as a result you helped launch our award-winning What Women Want public forums, where high-profile women talked about the issues close to your hearts.
In pre-TED talk days, these events were a rare platform for women’s voices, and speakers like Belinda Emmett, Wendy Harmer, Jessica Rowe and Claudia Karvan got involved. Some forums were broadcast nationally, and the surveys continued, with results taken to Canberra to inform politicians about what was important to Australian women.
You reduced the mental illness stigma
Despite the fact one in five Australian women suffer from depression in their lifetimes, there is still a sense of shame attached to mental illnesses.
Our 2012 Shine A Light campaign aimed to lift this veil of secrecy by encouraging people to talk openly about their experiences and stars like Asher Keddie, Ada Nicodemou – and poignantly, Charlotte Dawson – led the way. Inspired, thousands of you logged onto our Shine A Light stand-alone website to share your stories in the virtual landscape.
You helped to save the planet
In 2007, we were one of the first Australian media outlets to push for action on climate change.
Our Cool It! campaign ran over two issues, incorporating hard-hitting news as well as practical advice on how to be more eco-aware, all spearheaded by a host of green-conscious stars like Cate Blanchett, Susan Sarandon, Heath Ledger, Rose Byrne and Dr David Suzuki, each disclosing the action they had taken to lessen their carbon footprint. More than 2000 of you signed our petition calling for then-Prime Minister John Howard to invest more in green energy, many telling us how we’d inspired you to make small changes in your own lives.
You stood up for love
As the only developed English speaking country where the leader of the nation does not support marriage equality, Australia has has fallen behind the rest of the world on the issue of marriage equality.
In July 2012 our politicians were soon to vote on the Marriage Equality Bill in federal parliament, so what better time to launch our campaign supporting same-sex marriage? With a stellar line-up of celebrity support, including Delta Goodrem, Ruby Rose, Rachel Griffiths, Rachael Taylor, Alex Perry, Megan Gale, and Magda Szubansk, our catchy “I Do” campaign hit a nerve. Hundreds of you turned up to our two morning public rallies in Sydney and Melbourne, thousands more of you watched the event live on Sunrise and, most importantly, 170,000 of you signed the GetUp! online petition.
This very public rally took marriage equality into the Australian heartland and placed it firmly on the national agenda.
You covered up for skin cancer
When Rebecca Oborn appeared in the pages of our February 2008 issue stripped naked to the waist exposing a massive scar that sliced across her back due to the removal of a malignant melanoma, the nation took notice. The confronting image – with the headline “Do you still think you’d look better with a tan?” was the centrepiece of our SunSmart campaign fronted by Australia’s top fashion names who selflessly supported the cause. We asked you to help raise funds for cancer research by purchasing limited-edition designer items made exclusively by these designers.
Again, you opened your wallets and helped raise thousands for the Cancer Council. Most importantly, you heeded the SunSmart message – which was supported by TV ads featuring our fashion friends giving their sun tips – and you slip, slop, slapped your way through our Aussie summers!.
You championed the rights of innocent children
It was a story that broke our hearts – of the 316 children murdered in Australia over a 10-year period, 65 per cent were killed at the hands of their own parents. It sparked an award-winning series of features that we ran in 2003 and beyond called “Child Abuse: Stopping It Starts With Us”. It was the first time that all of the groups working to prevent the abuse of children in Australia came together under one banner.
Thousands of you signed the online pledge to end the cycle of abuse and called for the appointment of an Australian Commissioner for Children and Young People. These signatures were hand-delivered to our politicians in Canberra.
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