Tara Moss (born 2 October 1973) is a Canadian-Australian author, documentary maker and presenter, journalist, former model and UNICEF national ambassador for child survival.
When I am abused online I take snapshots for evidence, I report it to the social media platform and I ban the abuser. If I am threatened with violence I report the abuser to the police. It is vital to remember that threatening violence online is just as illegal as it is offline. Know your rights and the reporting procedures of any online platform you use.
Speaking Out is honest about some of the challenges posed by speaking out and looks at possible responses and coping strategies. By comparing notes, we can help guide each other through what can be challenging life experiences.
Success will be measured by change in the appallingly high levels of violence directed at women online and in the physical world, and change in the low levels of women's participation in public life. That change will require collective action, just as the changes so far have taken collective action.
A lot of women in the workplace are stuck in the uncomfortable place of having to come to terms with the fact that something isn't right, while no one around them will listen, or accept that something is wrong. Many workplaces have best practice, but sadly, many do not. The barriers are not insurmountable, but they are there, and we see that in the stats.
In Speaking Out I do my best to answer those questions I was asked and more, and I provide strategies for how to speak out and keep on speaking out without burning out.
We must all acknowledge our unconscious biases, and listen with less bias when women, and others who are marginalized, speak out. A lot of change is possible by just acknowledging unconscious bias - that exhaustively documented but unpleasant reality many would rather ignore - and listening with less bias and acting on what we then learn.
There is a real effort to bully women out of public spaces and offline with violent intimidation. That issue speaks not just to casual sexism, which is more common, but actual, violent hatred of women by some.
Give yourself the mental freedom to enjoy the process, because the process of writing is a long one.
You don't always find yourself facing audiences who are smiling the whole time. This is natural. As a speaker it is vital to prepare well and believe in what you have to say. You can't please every person in every crowd, but your message can matter much more than if you were only aiming to entertain.
Our sex need not primarily define who we are, what we are capable of, or what we can be expected to enjoy or engage in.
If I can get a hike in on a regular basis I know I will feel better and I will be stronger. I set goals for myself - like learning to sew, learning to dance - things that are not work related. I find that play and craft with my family bring me a lot of joy, along with all things vintage.
There are those who see a problem and there are those who will not give up until they find a solution - finding a solution is what the Full Stop Foundation is about
Don't write it right, just write it, and then make it right later.