Fearless Women uses Canberra-specific research to tailor a program that responds to the challenges faced by girls and young women in the ACT. Photo: Fearless Women.
In the face of a well-documented national decline in youth mental health, Canberra’s new empowerment program for young women is gaining rapid momentum – and not a moment too soon.
Two pilot cohorts from Fearless Women graduated last year, and a further 10 cohorts followed them through the pipeline.
Fearless Women Programs Officer Amy Campbell says the nation’s capital is crying out for the service.
“ANU released a paper pre-pandemic revealing that girls and young women of the ACT were experiencing high levels of psychological distress, and in a lot of instances, more than boys. Menslink has long been providing support to young men, and increasingly people have been looking for the same services for young women, so Fearless Women is filling that gap,” she says.
Fearless Women was piloted in 2022 following an extensive research and development phase.
Demand for the services in public and private schools across the region is growing rapidly.
With no ongoing government funding, Fearless Women relies on support from organisations like Hands Across Canberra to respond.
“Hands Across Canberra has been an incredible source not just of funds, but awareness of our cause,” Ms Campbell says.
“Our program is Canberra-specific, the research we’re founded on is Canberra-specific, and we’re tailored to respond to the challenges girls in the ACT are facing, so Hands Across Canberra is a great fit.”
Fearless Women is a relatively new organisation but already has multiple cohorts in the pipeline. Photo: Fearless Women.
Like its well-established male counterpart, Menslink, Fearless Women uses a three-stream approach of free mentoring, education and counselling services to tackle youth mental health issues, but for girls and young women.
The volunteer-based, girls-only program focuses on early intervention, using incremental changes to build confidence and help participants recognise their self-worth.
“There are other programs for young people who’ve already reached the crisis point. Fearless Women is unique in that we’re tailored to identify girls who are not thriving for various reasons and who are falling under the radar. Our goal is to catch them before they get to that stage,” Ms Campbell says.
“Often girls feel they can’t reach out for help until their challenges are ‘big enough’ – at the extreme end. We want to validate their challenges earlier and make sure they know there are people who will support them and listen to them.
“We take incremental steps, make small changes, give them practical tools to discover their identity and self-worth and tackle the common challenges they’re facing, such as very high anxiety levels and issues with friendships.
“Already from our pilot program some really beautiful stories have emerged, including one young lady who told us her mentor had literally changed her life.”
Ms Campbell said charitable initiatives like Hands Across Canberra’s upcoming Canberra Day Appeal Fun Run were vital for Fearless Women to keep up the good work.
Hands Across Canberra raises funds for Canberra’s most vulnerable people, invests the money to make it grow and then gives it back to the Canberra community in the form of grants for local organisations and community groups.
The Hands Across Canberra (Canberra Day Appeal Fun Run) is on Monday, 10 March. Register now via Race Roster.
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