Support Women's Voices
Stories to advance gender equality and justice
Documentary Australia’s new flagship Women’s Voices initiative elevates stories from women, girls and gender-diverse people that shift the narrative and drive progress for gender equality and justice.
The Issue
Misogyny and threats to gender equality are globally on the rise, and we are seeing an alarming backlash against the empowerment of women, girls and gender-diverse people.
Rights to bodily autonomy, sexual and reproductive health, education and political participation are being eroded, while digital disinformation campaigns target young men to promote dominance over women and girls as a marker of male worth.
In Australia gender-based violence and discrimination are still rife, with one in five women experiencing violence in an intimate relationship, and greater risk for those experiencing multiple intersections of disadvantage.
Media and culture have a crucial role to play. As the UN’s Beijing Declaration notes, the media’s narratives have a material effect in ending or propagating violence against women, in dismantling or perpetuating stereotypes, and in advancing or inhibiting women’s, girls’ and gender-diverse people’s rights.
Our Solution
Documentary has a unique power to platform lived experience, reveal inequality and rewrite deeply-held stereotypes and narratives. Launched in 2026, our flagship Women’s Voices initiative elevates stories from women, girls and gender-diverse people that can shift narratives and drive progress for gender equality and justice.
In 2026, our events with Sydney Opera House, Shark Island Institute and others celebrate trailblazing documentaries by and about women, amplify stories of lived experience and deepen dialogue on gender equality and justice.
In 2027, we are looking to support the next generation of films that have clear potential to shift the beliefs, attitudes and systems sustaining inequality – by providing grants, workshops and expert support on messaging strategies to influence audiences.
Our Impact
Our vision is to elevate stories from women, girls and gender-diverse people that shift narratives and drive progress for gender equality and justice. We will:
- Uplift the lived experience of diverse women, girls and gender-diverse people to shift mindsets and reframe the conversation
- Strengthen film messaging strategies to improve audience engagement and influence beliefs
- Support the use of documentary to amplify, adopt and strengthen new narratives
- Increase support for female and gender-diverse directors
How to Support
We are developing a community of like-minded funders, partners and allies to support the next generation of films driving progress for gender equality and justice.
Please reach out to us if you are interested to support the initiative, collaborate or learn more.
Women’s Voices is generously supported by Trawalla Foundation, The Chong Family, Snow Foundation, Horizon Foundation, Emily’s Wish Foundation, Rossi Foundation, Anita Jacoby, Winsome Bernard, Jeanette McHugh and other supporters. Thank you also to our event and venue partners, Shark Island Institute, Shark Island Kangaroo Valley and Sydney Opera House.
"When women and girls can rise, we all thrive. Yet, globally, women’s human rights are under attack. Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, we’re seeing the mainstreaming of misogyny. Together, we must stand firm in making human rights, equality and empowerment a reality for all women and girls, for everyone, everywhere."
CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE
Stephanie King | Impact Director
[email protected]
Dr Mitzi Goldman | CEO
[email protected]
2026 Event Series
25 November | Online
Content warning: This event contains references to gender-based and sexual violence.
Join us for a special online panel during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, discussing 2015 documentary The Hunting Ground and efforts to shift the narratives around sexual violence in education. Hear from filmmaker Amy Ziering, End Rape On Campus Australia campaigner and policy specialist Sharna Bremner, survivor-advocate and Youth Against Sexual Violence Australia founder Dani Villafaña and The Man Cave Senior Facilitation Coach Kyle Llewellyn on their work to rewrite the narratives surrounding gender-based violence in education settings, and new measures for prevention, accountability and justice.
2 September | Sydney Opera House
Documentary Australia and Sydney Opera House presented a sold-out Q&A screening of Silenced, which follows international human rights lawyer and free-speech defender Jennifer Robinson’s fight for survivors of gender-based violence to tell their story. Speakers Jennifer Robinson, Brittany Higgins and director Selina Miles were met with a standing ovation, before Dr Mitzi Goldman led a Q&A discussion on the narrative and systemic changes needed to prevent the silencing of women’s voices.
30 July | Online
Wiradyuri, Ngemba and Paakantji woman and Common Ground CEO Gemma Pol moderated this online panel discussion on First Nations storytelling that shifts the narrative and centres matriarchal and women’s knowledges – as a practice of care, and as a powerful tool for narrative and systemic change. Gemma was joined by Bunuba leader and Wiyi Yani U Thangani Chair, June Oscar AO; Arrernte and Kalkadoon filmmaker and Screen Australia Director of First Nations Strategy, Rachel Perkins; Worimi artist, filmmaker and field builder, Genevieve Grieves; and Nyikina Warrwa and Wangkumara Barkindji filmmaker and legal academic Marlikka Perdrisat.
26 May | Shark Island Institute
We launched Women’s Voices at a special invite-only event with a screening of seminal documentary Brazen Hussies, which charts the revolutionary Australian Women’s Liberation Movement of 1965-75. This was followed by a discussion on the evolution of the gender equality movement and present-day storytelling priorities with author Dr Anne Summers, journalist Phoebe McIlwraith and social researcher Dr Rebecca Huntley, moderated by Dr Mitzi Goldman.
Help make a difference with documentary
Documentary Australia is a unique not-for-profit that ensures important stories are told, seen and achieve social impact outcomes. Find out how to join our community for powerful change below:
We support documentaries that inspire change across a broad range of issues
Our Programs
Environmental Accelerator
ENVIRONMENT
Documentary Australia is committed to increasing engagement with environmental issues and empowering action to protect the planet, using documentary storytelling as a tool to create change. Launched in November 2022, the Environmental Accelerator amplifies the impact of up to 10 documentary projects over three years to increase awareness and motivating action for the environment.
SheDoc
WOMEN + GIRLS
In 2024 SheDoc elevated the careers of six female-identifying filmmakers, particularly in key creative roles under-represented by women. Our vision is to provide talented women with resources and support for their professional development in order to help elevate issues relating to women and girls with an emphasis on gender-equity in documentary storytelling.
Impact Producer Program
Documentary Australia launched the Impact Producer Program in 2023 – a new ten-month professional development program that aims to train the next generation of Impact Producers. This program is the first of its kind in Australia, developed in response to the increasingly unmet demand for experienced professionals to undertake this role.
Centralised Indigenous Fellowship
Launched in 2019, the Centralised Indigenous Fellowship aims to create a bespoke career development program for First Nations documentary filmmakers to increase their skills and knowldge and share their stories. This enables a the career advancement of a new generation of Aboriginal screen storytellers and encourages generations that come after them.
We use stories to incite action and create impact on
vital social issues
Annual Impact Report 2024-2025
In FY24-25, Documentary Australia continued its unwavering commitment to leveraging the power of storytelling for social change.
At a time when trust has been eroded and the truth can't always be relied on in mainstream or social media, documentary storytelling is becoming more important than ever. Through a combination of impactful documentaries, strategic partnerships and dedicated donor support, we have made significant strides in advancing our mission.
Our dedicated community of donors play a pivotal role in our success. Your generous support enables us to bring powerful stories to life and to create real impact on the issues that matter most.