WOMEN OF THE FUTURE:

Three truly exceptional young women will receive more than $70,000 in cash and prizes to further their important work.

meet our competition winners

Caitlin Figueiredo, 23 from Kaleen, ACT TO TRAIN WOMEN AGED 10 TO 70 IN SELF-DEFENCE.

Domestic violence survivor Caitlin Figueiredo founded the social enterprise Jasiri Australia to deliver self-defence classes and other tools to empower women to combat violence.

She was inspired to deliver this work after a relative broke into her room when she was 12 years old and tried to take her life. “Thankfully my parents had signed me up to learn karate and I was able to stop the attack and end the abuse,” she says. “From this moment on I was determined to ensure no child or woman ever had to live with violence again.”

“We’re on a mission to equip women with the skills to transform culture and end violence fearlessly,” Caitlin says.

Jasiri’s services include self-defence training, policy facilitation, advocacy, leadership programs, public events and an online platform. The judges were impressed by Caitlin’s bravery and determination to turn a terrible experience into a valuable service.