The strength within

Mel Thomas is making bona fide, social change. While many of us rollicked throughout the ephemeral, magical experience of growing up female in the ’80s, Thomas was forging new ground. Finding her battle-weary teenage way through her father’s violent, alcoholic and gambling juggernaut, Mel, along with her mother and her sister faced unspeakable and yet regular bouts of domestic violence. Roll onto her late teens and she found herself as both a victim and instigator of street violence and teen bullying. But she more than survived. 

Now a writer, speaker, media commentator and mother of two with over 20 years martial arts experience in Hapkido (the Korean art of self-defence), Thomas has channeled her street smarts, courage and determination into the KYUP! Project, a martial arts based empowerment program. You see, this InStyle Scholarship Nominee understands the importance and power that comes with having a voice; and she’s using hers to help a generation of women and girls to find theirs too. 

Pronounced KEY-UP (which loosely translated means ‘to shout’ in Korean), the KYUP! Project is where the rubber hits the road. While it looks at prevention, Thomas comes face to face with those young girls desperate for a cure. “I can tell you that probably eight out of 10 kids wouldn’t know what intuition was, they wouldn’t know they were in trouble even when they’re in it. Knowing how to deal with a situation that doesn’t feel right is as essential as learning to drive a car, or cook a meal, or dial emergency services. KYUP! provides life protection skills that will stay with these kids for life,” cites Thomas.

Given that intimate partner violence is the most preventable cause of death for girls from the age of 15 through to women at 40 it’s clear that we need violence prevention education as much as we need the awareness campaigns. Delivering her unique violence prevention education in schools, universities and in local communities, Thomas goes wherever she is needed the most. And while she has her sights set on a national rollout of the program; winning the Audi InStyle Scholarship would ensure the immediate launch of KYUP! in the Taree region. 

“Taree is very close to my heart,” says Thomas. “I presented with Layne Beachley at the Australian Women's Leadership Forum in March 2016 and as part of that tour I had a couple of hours in the morning with the PCYC; thanks to Rotary, around 100 indigenous kids were brought in from all the local communities, but I just didn’t get enough time with them. I promised these kids I would be back and I’ve been looking for funding for a Taree program ever since. This scholarship means so much to me. It’s very real and it’s going to have a very direct impact in a community that’s crying out for violence prevention education.”

Between this years Global Women’s March and the more recent International Women’s Day ‘Be Bold To Change’ campaign, it would seem that women are high on the agenda. We’re more ‘aware’ of equal rights and women’s empowerment than ever and yet one third of all Australian women have suffered physical abuse from someone known to them (1). The statistics don’t lie and while they point to a problem that isn’t going away, they serve as raw motivation for Thomas. “In 20 years, will my daughters read the same statistics?” she asks. “It’s time to move beyond awareness campaigns into strong-hearted action. I am passionate about connecting the dots and shining a light on the family violence problem that is as the same as it was 30 years ago. I believe more people like me need to stand up and take action if we are serious about ending the cycle of violence.”

For this courageous woman, the Audi InStyle Scholarship is the perfect platform for her mission. “Audi is a global brand – this is global issue – it’s a women and girls issue – it’s so significant and it’s a great fit. This program really will make a difference and impact the community because when we empower girls, then we’re empowering the next generation and the whole community wins,” Thomas explains. “You have a powerful voice and whether you’re shouting out to protect yourself or saying what you mean and meaning what you say, or taking a stand for someone else as a bystander – you have a powerful voice – so find the courage within to use it.”

Now them’s (the right kind of) fighting words. 

The Audi and InStyle Women of Style Awards recognise outstanding women and their achievements across a range of fields each year. As part of the awards, the InStyle and Audi Style Scholarship is presented to an outstanding individual, Then there is also the InStyle and Audi Style Scholarship, which each year recognises the efforts of one individual and their pursuit of excellence, giving them a $10,000 bursary to help the recipient further their efforts in their chosen field.