Grace Tame on winning as a woman, side-eyes and calling out power
Apr 25, 2025
35:43
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Quick takeaways
Grace Tame's advocacy underscores the need for survivors of sexual abuse to share their stories freely, pushing for legal reform and societal change.
Tame highlights the importance of political engagement, urging citizens to vote for independent candidates to address pressing community issues and foster accountability.
Deep dives
Grace Tame's Journey and Advocacy
Grace Tame's journey as a survivor of sexual abuse and advocate reflects the complexities of winning as a woman in Australia. She emphasizes that success comes with challenges, including public scrutiny and loss, which can be overwhelming at times. Despite these hurdles, Tame uses her platform to address crucial issues surrounding childhood sexual abuse, highlighting the need for survivors to have the freedom to share their stories without legal restrictions. Her advocacy work, particularly the successful campaign to amend Tasmania's Evidence Act, symbolizes a monumental shift in how the justice system views the voices of survivors.
The Importance of Political Engagement
Tame expresses concern over political apathy and urges citizens to become active participants in the electoral process. She observes a growing disillusionment with the two-party system, which often fails to address pressing issues like the housing crisis and income disparity. Tame encourages people to vote for independent candidates to foster a political landscape that genuinely represents diverse community needs. By increasing political engagement, she believes the electorate can hold parties accountable and diminish the influence of money in politics.
Balancing Multiple Roles and Personal Challenges
Tame discusses her multifaceted identity as a marathon runner, social advocate, and public figure, which often leads to the challenge of balancing her various roles. As she runs approximately 100 kilometers each week, Tame finds solace in the natural beauty of Tasmania, which fuels her physical and mental health. However, she faces significant cognitive load due to her extensive travel and advocacy work, which complicates her ability to focus solely on her running goals. This struggle emphasizes the importance of mental well-being alongside physical health, particularly for individuals balancing demanding roles.
Navigating Public Scrutiny and Leadership
Tame reflects on the complexities of being in the public eye and the pressures that accompany it, including intense scrutiny and backlash. She asserts that true leadership involves recognizing everyone's potential to lead while also dealing with the challenges that come with a larger platform. Tame admits to experiencing exhaustion from her responsibilities but remains committed to her advocacy work. She underscores the importance of authenticity in leadership and the need to treat every individual engagement with care and respect to foster deeper connections.
She’s side-eyed former Prime Ministers, called out power at the highest levels and reshaped Australia’s conversation around sexual abuse - Grace Tame is nothing short of a force.
The former Australian of the Year has endured more scrutiny than many public figures twice her age, all while staying fiercely outspoken and unapologetically herself.
In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Grace unpacks what it really takes to ‘win’ as a woman in Australia and how to make your vote count in the upcoming federal election.
