Empowering woman, one mural at a time

A group of Year 9 girls from Belridge Secondary College spent six weeks creating a mural with help from the female empowerment group ‘We Are Womxn’.  

The Perth-based group teaches young girls about wellbeing, mental health, empowerment, and other key topics.  

During the project, the girls participated in content-based sessions, which included discussions and activities. They then spent an hour on the mural with an artist from ‘We Are Womxn’. 

They covered topics critical to young women, such as wellbeing, mental health, coping strategies, consent, empowering women, and the importance of lifting other women up. 

The group was initially given the option of creating something individually, but opted instead to create something that the whole school could see, a mural on the wall next to the highly trafficked student services building.  

They worked closely with artist Maddy, from ‘We Are Womxn’, providing input on how they wanted their mural to look. 

“Whenever I walk past, I just feel proud that I was a part of it. It makes my day whenever I walk past it,” said Maria, one of the students participating in the program.  

“I was really excited about coming to school to see everyone and paint the mural and see how it would be after it finished,” said Sarah, another student.  

The mural includes positive affirmations such as ‘I’m brave’, ‘I am strong’, ‘I‘m succeeding’ and ‘I’m proud of you’. These messages are designed to serve a reminder to the girls who created it, as well as all their peers who pass the mural each day.  

Head of Student Services for Years 9 and 10, Heather Currie, who organised the program, said the change in the girls from the beginning of the program to the end was noticeable.   

“They were so focused; it was a really positive experience,” Heather said.  

”They’re so proud of the work they’ve done. No one shied away from writing their name up there.”