As we approach International Women’s Day (Saturday 8 March), UN Women Australia’s theme this year - March Forward: For ALL Women and Girls - emphasises the importance of unlocking equal rights, power, and opportunities for all women and girls. 

It encourages us to reflect on the progress we've made and the work that still lies ahead to achieve gender equality. 

Understanding healthy behaviours and relationships is key for young Australians aged 14 to 18. It helps build positive self-esteem, how they interact with peers, partners, family members and the community. 

Over the last 12 months, The Benevolent Society’s team in Maitland has been working with local schools to educate young women on this through the MyRespect program. It has now expanded into a school in the Upper Hunter region. 

Expanding into the Upper Hunter 

MyRespect provides guidance and mentoring to young women in high school who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing poor mental health because of bullying, coercive control, family and domestic violence along with numerous other vulnerabilities that come with unhealthy relationships. 

Benevolent started delivering this program in four local schools around Maitland in 2024. Due to positive word-of-mouth and demand for the program in the region, this is continuing in 2025. The program has also recently expanded to a school in the Upper Hunter. 

It educates young women on the characteristics of a healthy relationship with themselves, peers, partners, family members and the wider community. 

Led by trained facilitators, it takes place through in-person group lessons consisting of up to 10 participants. Commencing in week two of the school term, the program consists of 10 different interactive lessons. 

The first lesson establishes the ground rules for productive communication. Facilitators run through any considerations from participants, to ensure everyone feels safe and respected over the 10-week program. 

Subsequent lessons cover learning opportunities for participants. These include reflecting on their values, aspirations and priorities in life, discussing what their hopes for romantic relationships are. These lessons help equip participants with skills like identifying the behaviours and qualities found in healthy relationships and unhealthy relationships, and how to practice self-care. 

The groups are facilitated at school through collaboration with their Wellbeing Officers, who the facilitators meet with if there is any need to follow-up with students that may be experiencing safety or wellbeing concerns. 

Empowering young women 

“MyRespect is empowering young women to have a strong view of change and identify unhealthy behaviours in relationships. We’ve seen participants come out of lessons with a new perspective of both past and current relationships they’re in, and an ability to identify unhealthy aspects of these,’ said Robyn O’Dell, Team Leader at The Benevolent Society in East Maitland. 

The Benevolent Society Maitland team members Isobel Jenkins, Robyn ODell and Molly Carlson

The team have seen participants engaging with the lessons and then putting their learnings into practice by being more conscious of all the relationships they are in. 

“Since the pilot began in July 2023, we have seen lots of positive growth from participants. They are learning to recognise controlling and coercive aspects of their relationships with peers, boyfriends and family members. Participants are also recommending the group to their peers and friends.” 

Demand for the program has been so strong that the team are now at capacity for the rest of 2025, and will be looking into how they can expand this to additional schools in 2026. 

For more information on The Benevolent Society's MyRespect program click here or call 1800 236 762.