WinWin Magazine Edition Three WinWin Magazine Edition Three

Women will change the world

Rethinking what strength looks like.


The female of the species has always been attributed with being more sensitive, more emotional and more nurturing than the male.

As ‘the gentler sex’ we have heard these descriptors as well-meant compliments but also as a back-hand way of keeping us in our place; in the home, out of boardrooms, and with a focus on looking after everyone before ourselves.

The nature of women.

The research in Young Blood: The New Australia (which looked at 1,248 young women and nonbinary persons across the country) shows that these ‘caring’ qualities — the things that have traditionally been considered weaknesses — could actually mean we are much more in tune with what is going on in the world and eager to help make positive change.

It shows young women are more likely to see problems, acknowledge them and try to do something about them, than young men.*

We believe more strongly that we are the generation that has to take responsibility for forcing change when it comes to the environment and also that it’s important to stand up for whatever we believe in, even if that opinion is unpopular or inconvenient.

It might be time for people to rethink their perceptions of what strength looks like!

The strength in our ‘weakness’.

It looks like our perceived weaknesses are the very things that have us caring more about the future of the planet, equality and representation. 

Women and those identifying outside of the binary are more concerned with the environmental and ethical implications of what they buy than men.* 

They are much more likely to feel that beauty comes in different shapes, colours and sizes and that they want to see more diversity from brands that they love. And even though 40% of us feel ignored by policy makers, nearly 80% of us say we will do everything we can (petitioning, donating, protesting, writing to policy makers, etc.) to highlight issues that are important to us.  

The truth is, we are used to fighting to be heard and acknowledged.

We have always had to find the tools and allies to face overwhelming challenges, and this leaves us in a powerful position to lead the charge when it comes to making positive change in the world.

The way forward.

Young Blood: The New Australia has shown there is a gap in how the genders perceive the world, and what they are willing to do about it. It is important to acknowledge these differences, but it is just as important to use this information to help everyone move forward, not to point fingers. If we are to make meaningful change it must be a human effort. 

Because 40% of us think that there is power in numbers and in order to fix the world, we need to do it together.


*For more info on the research and stats mentioned above, check out Young Blood: The New Australia