Australia's broken social contract — Tahlia Isaac wants to protect women in prison

What happens to a community when it punishes its most vulnerable instead of protecting them Drawing on her own story of addiction, imprisonment, and recovery, as well as her frontline work supporting women behind bars and post-release, Tahlia Issac challenges the "tough on crime" narrative. The typical incarcerated woman in Australia is First Nations, a mother, a survivor of violence, and imprisoned for a low-level offence. Locking her up doesn't make communities safer — it makes them more fragile. This is the 2025 International Women's Day Address at the National Press Club of Australia. Speakers Tahlia Isaac Founder and CEO of Project: herself with lived experience as a woman in prison Emma Macdonald Associate Editor or Her Canberra, an online media company, magazine, and community hub tailored specifically for women, and Canberra Convenor of Women in Media