She has directed a number of documentaries, together with the 2016 launch Embrace, which centered on her personal path to physique acceptance and the problem of girls’s physique loathing.
Taking to the stage to just accept the award, Brumfitt stated folks weren’t “born into the world hating our bodies”.
“It is not our life’s purpose to be at war with our body,” she stated.
“Collectively, we face among the most difficult environmental, humanitarian and social problems with our time.
“What if as a substitute of spending our days consumed by hating our our bodies, we might make investments our time collectively to unravel these challenges.”
Brumfitt was chosen over her seven fellow finalists: Indigenous leader Samuel Bush-Blanasi, paediatrician Dr Angraj Khillan, advocate for end-of-life care Professor Samar Aoun, human rights activist and former Socceroo Craig Foster AM, insect-farming pioneer Olympia Yarger, composer William Barton, and humanitarian John Kamara.
Brumfitt said body image was the number one concern for 70 per cent of Australian school children, describing a “paediatric well being emergency” amid rising suicide, depression, eating disorders, anxiety and steroid use.
“Every grownup is a job mannequin to a toddler, and I’m not right here to disgrace you or make you are feeling dangerous. I’m right here to ask you to shift the way in which you assume,” she said.
“Little Aussies describe their our bodies as robust and energetic and highly effective, they usually have real love for all of the issues their our bodies can do.
“This gives me hope that we can get in early and block the shame and despair.”
The director stated each faculty was getting a duplicate of the Embrace Kids documentary — ” the most important film that you and your kids will see this year” — as a part of a mission to succeed in one million youngsters in three years.
Speaking at the beginning of the awards ceremony, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated Brumfitt and the opposite nominees characterize one of the best of Australia.
“We gather tonight, on the eve of our national day, to honour and celebrate those who represent the very best of our national character,” he stated.
“Global stars and local heroes. Young Australians and those rich in years. People of all backgrounds and from every part of our continent.
“A various group, united by a typical high quality: they encourage us.
“They inspire us by living and serving and upholding our nation’s values: our compassion and generosity, our courage and initiative, our ingrained sense of fairness and our deep belief in service to community.”
Albanese opened his speech by highlighting the marketing campaign for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
”Later this year, in a referendum, every Australian will have the opportunity to take up the generous and gracious invitation to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our nations’ birth certificate – our constitution – and to support a voice to Parliament,” he stated.
“I believe – just like tonight – it will be an uplifting moment of national unity.
“Every Australian will be proud that the society now we have constructed collectively, down the generations, contains the world’s oldest steady tradition.”
Tamara Calma, a human rights activist and social justice campaigner, was named the Senior Australian of the Year, while Socceroo Awer Mabil is the Young Australian of the Year.
The founding father of Western Sydney-based charity Turbans 4 Australia, Amar Singh, was named Australia’s Local Hero on the twentieth anniversary of the award.
