‘Change comes with superheroes’.

Imagine a world where the superheroes are not just those that wear a cape, but also the ones constantly advocating for change and positive progress. These superheroes already exist, and they are the diverse leaders who have donned an invisible cape of responsibility. Responsibility for the community and responsibility for the future. The female and non-binary leaders in my community are real life superheroes advocating for positive change every day. 

Tea Gardens is a small coastal town on Worimi Country and one of the greatest untouched landscapes of the modern world. Despite facing an assortment of challenges such as limited access to services and impacts of environmental events, within my community and out into the broader region there are a variety of diverse leaders being changemakers and leaders in every way, shape and form. 

A great example of this is my local Member of Parliament the Hon. Kate Washington. Recently, I had the great pleasure of undertaking work experience with Kate Washington and her amazing office staff. This experience expanded my personal views on the world and demonstrated what it truly takes to be a leader and changemaker of both today and tomorrow. Kate is one of the most supportive and inclusive people that I know. By listening to the people of the region and always being there to ensure that the communities’ best interests are considered, she ensures that she is being an integral part of both parliamentary proceedings and the wider region. Despite constant attacks and claims against her, she continues to stand tall. Kate is calm and caring but also determined and resilient. This is the type of leader that everyone should aspire to be. Kate’s guidance and mentorship are continually fuelling my drive for positive change. She is a major inspiration to me and her unwavering support and innovative approach to creating change have been a cornerstone in my journey towards positive change within my community. 

In this world, nothing is perfect but there is always something we can do, always something that we can change. Angela Davis said “I’m no longer accepting the things I cannot change… I’m changing the things I cannot accept.” Diverse leaders, such as Kate Washington, are prime examples of people who constantly push for positive change within communities such as mine. 

Much of the human population has succumbed to an egocentric worldview, they have come to believe that nothing really matters if it does not affect them specifically.  It is the advocating superheroes that are changing this mindset and pulling the world into the positive future that we so desperately need. 

Women and non-binary leaders make change not because it is their job, but instead because it is their passion, to lead us into a positive future. The passion that these changemakers of today and tomorrow display is contagious. It is this that will change the mindset of the world, and it is this that will allow us to reach the successful, sustainable future which we are aiming for every day. 

The determination, resilience, adaptability, strength, passion, and ability to listen are virtues that these diverse changemakers consistently demonstrate inspire me to make positive change both in and out of my community.