The Matildas Rewrite History
We have been consumed by “Matildas fever”! Not only was the team the first national squad to make it to the semi-finals and endure the longest penalty shootout of any FIFA World Cup, but they also claimed the most watched Australian TV event, sports or otherwise.  

Last night’s nail-biting semi-final reached a peak audience of 11.15 million and an average of 7.13 million. It surpassed Cathy Freeman’s 400m win at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, Ash Barty’s Australian Open final, and the AFL, NRL grand finals and State of Origin.

While we were devastated by the 3-1 loss to England, the Matildas’ World Cup journey is not over yet, and will face Sweden in the Third Place playoff on Saturday at 6PM (AEST).  

Throughout the tournament, the Matilda’s have changed many misconceptions about women’s sports with a survey by Honeycomb finding that 69 per cent of Australians who have seen a Women’s World Cup match are more likely to follow other women’s sporting events in the future. It’s also highlighted the many opportunities for brands to get behind women’s sports.  

The Voice of Women at Work 2023
Women Rising, a women’s leadership company, launched The Voice of Women at Work 2023 report, revealing the experiences and intentions of women in the workplace.

Half of the 1,200 women surveyed have considered switching careers in the past 18 months and, shockingly, one in five women of non-retirement-age women have contemplated leaving the workforce altogether.

“Women are leaving jobs and even whole careers behind because of leadership gaps that could be easily addressed,” says Women Rising Founder and CEO, Megan Dalla-Camina.

The report garnered 178 clips from both HR and business titles including SBS, ABC Radio, HR Daily, and News Corp titles.  

Women Rising is an IMPACT client.

Voice referendum  

As we draw closer to the Voice referendum, so too does the controversy surrounding the campaign. Pro-voice campaigner, Thomas Mayo, is concerned with the “new lows in political discourse” pointing to the “sheer volume of hatred, lies and misinformation”.  

The Uluru Dialogues, a group of First Nations leaders from across Australia carrying the mandate for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, have highlighted deliberate misinformation as a “key plank in the no campaign’s effort to defeat the voice referendum.” Instead, it encourages Australians to access all resources that will help them make an informed decision.

Many organisations are also making a statement, with Qantas formally declaring its support for the Voice by branding the ‘Yes23’ campaign logo on three of their aircrafts. It now joins companies, such as Telstra, Westfarmers and BHP, giving their support to the ‘yes’ team.  

Cyber safety for youth
Meta has released a Metaverse Youth Safety Guide that urges teens and children to maximise their privacy settings when gaming and using augmented and virtual reality. The toolkit was produced in collaboration with PROJECT ROCKIT, an Australian youth-driven movement dedicated to combatting cyberbullying and help young people stay safe online.

The guide also provides parents and guardians with tips to help navigate this ever-changing landscape. While some recommendations seem obvious, such as remembering to take regular breaks, others encourage teens to use critical thinking about who they follow, sharing information and looking out for scammers. 

While this is a step in the right direction as social media becomes more entangled in our lives, particularly for younger generations, we discussed the realistic application of the guide among teens and children.