Girls With Hammers Break Down Barriers

Kerryn Vaughan was thirty-five, living a rockstar life as a singer and guitarist and was performing for screaming fans. It was during a break at one of her shows when Kerryn got a phone call that would change her life.

Her sister had been diagnosed with cancer. For the next few years, and as the eldest sibling, Kerryn believed it was her duty to save her sister. Her efforts failed, and Carolyn passed away. 

‘I would describe Carolyn as the best mother I’ve ever known. Her husband was involved in a fatal car accident where he received head injuries resulting in brain damage. Steph (their little girl) was only a few weeks old at that time. Carolyn spent months supporting his recovery and was then dealt the blow of her diagnosis on top of all that. It was a horrendous time,’ Kerryn said.

‘That event ( my sister passing away) significantly changed my life. I was forced to think outside of myself and about the power I had to help others instead of putting all my energy into my own selfishness. I discovered how important and healing it was to live a life of meaning.’

Now, Kerryn’s on a mission to empower people to live their life with meaning.

She is an international speaker, podcast host, author of two highly successful books Magnificent Kids! and Get Off the Bench! and has created One Planet Classroom, a Not-For-Profit which supports schools and communities in Africa.

But it was several incidents that led her to begin Girls With Hammers, an initiative helping women to find their strength and smash down barriers by empowering them at local conferences and international retreats.

‘Girls With Hammers began in 2018 to inspire all women to believe they can,’ Kerryn said. ‘We also want women to know they are not alone, and we want them to be inspired by the triumphs of other women, especially those who have experienced adversity.’

Kerryn said gender concerns started plaguing her about eight years ago when she was working on an initiative with One Planet Classroom. Thirty laptops were sent to Uganda so that African schools could Skype with Australian School. However, with incompatible time zones and a lack of power, Kerryn said the idea failed, but she learned a valuable lesson.

‘Through that failure, I learned that the girls were really suffering and while they were the ones walking hours to fetch water, which is always putrid, they were being assaulted and missing valuable time in school,’ Kerryn said.

‘This meant they would be married off at a young age to much older men, and the outcome for them is disastrous. So, now as a Not for Profit, we started putting water tanks into schools, constructing water wells, and connecting clean water to villages. But the horrendous outcome for girls continued to trouble me deeply.’

Kerryn recalled another incident in 2017 which worried her. ‘I was sitting in the car outside a workwear shop. I was looking at the tradie clothes hanging in the window and started thinking about how girls need to know they can be anything they want, and that gender should not be a barrier.’

But it was an event in 2018 which prompted Kerryn to do something to help women tackle these challenges.

‘I was coaching a table of women at an International Women’s Day event. There were cards on the table, and one caught my eye. It said I will launch a purposeful female focused initiative.’

And so that she did, alongside her partner Nicky Williams.

Kerryn and Nicky held their first Girls With Hammers conference in Warragul in 2018, and subsequent conferences in Traralgon. The next conference will be held at Federation University in Churchill on 4 September.

Each year, nearly two hundred people attend, and the last few years have sold out.

‘It’s a space where women can just be themselves – not a mother, wife, partner, employee. Many returning attendees describe it as that one day of the year they look forward to the most,’ Kerryn said. ‘The atmosphere has been described as electric, empowering, inspiring, a safe space to be yourself, feelings of community, connection and less alone, an emotional roller coaster, and a loving, supportive atmosphere.’

The conference includes inspiring speakers, prizes, food, fun, music, and connection.

‘Our speakers will be sharing their stories vulnerably, and this year we have Reggie Bird, a two-time Big Brother winner, as our keynote. Many people don’t know it, but Reggie is almost blind, is losing her hearing, has a son with cystic fibrosis, and has been left penniless twice,’ Kerryn said.

‘Our other speakers are Jessika Mylne, owner of The Makeup Hub, who will share her story of her time at Kings Cross and how she overcame many obstacles to become a successful business owner.

‘Leigh McDonald was a very talented local footballer who sustained over forty concussions and a major brain bleed, and who now has CTE which is a form of deteriorating brain damage.

‘Mitch Nivalis is a filmmaker who joined and documented the formation of a women’s and non-binary football club that overcame a plethora of challenges and barriers as they tried to become registered with a league.

‘Lutfiye Kavci is a domestic violence and attempted murder survivor, saved only by the luck of a knife breaking.

‘Attendees can expect an emotional roller coaster but will leave feeling like they have endless power.’

Girls With Hammers will also be hosting their first international retreat in November this year in Cambodia with eight women. ‘We will be supporting a charity, walking with free roaming elephants, enjoying time with locals, relaxing, and experiencing many other local places and people. We currently have two places available, and you can find out more on our website.’

Tickets for Girls With Hammers Conference can be purchased at girlswithhammers.com.au until 25 August.

Kerryn’s books Magnificent Kids! and Get Off the Bench! can purchased on her website kerrynvaughan.com or any online bookstore.