Q&A WITH RUBY RIETHMULLER

Words:

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what inspired you to start Womn-Kind?

Having grown up on a farm in regional NSW and navigated my own mental health challenges, I felt compelled to create a youth-led organisation to reduce the burden of mental illness on young people, curb the statistics and change the stigma. Born around the idea that “I thought it was just me (but it isn’t),” Womn-Kind is a unique source of personal empowerment and emotional support with a strong philosophy of young people leading young people.

What are some of the issues young people face that Womn-Kind helps to address?

Research suggests that over 60 per cent of young people in Australia are suffering from psychological distress and that suicide is the leading cause of death. At the centre of many challenges is societal pressure and expectations.

Womn-Kind dives into fostering body confidence, personal growth, leadership skills, a balanced lifestyle, practicing healthy habits, communicating your needs and emotions, navigating changing relationships, using your voice for good and managing uncomfortable emotions.

What is the value of mentorship for girls and other young people? Even with a loving family, a great group of friends or the support of school staff, teenage girls can often feel isolated, lost or misunderstood. WomnKind provides girls with an ally without judgement. Our mentors are nurturing the upcoming generation of empowered female leaders to recognise their potential, find comfort in their own skin and take proactive charge of their mental health.

How can we as a community better support young people when it comes to mental health?

If we are to encourage young people to feel comfortable to share their emotions and experiences – both the good and the bad – then we need to be open to having the hard conversations, lean into vulnerability and engage in mental health promoting activities. Young people are as much the future leaders as they are the present leaders, and therefore need to be present in any room where decisions are made, particularly those that relate to them.

Can you tell us about the new Womn-Kind app?

The Womn-Kind App is a social wellness app, which will provide on-demand access to evidence-based, engaging and largely preventative wellbeing resources that optimise the mental health of girls and gender diverse young people. Launched in October 2022, our app was carefully curated over the last 18 months by young people for young people, with the aim of ensuring every girl –regardless of her geographic location – has access to the right support at the right time. Our app covers everything from leadership to consent, sleep and body image, and has resources on yoga, Pilates, meditation and breathing. Users can engage with an inclusive, diverse and empowering online community and connect with a network of allied health professionals from the comfort and convenience of their own device.

What’s next for you and Womn-Kind?

Among many other things in 2023, we’ll be embarking on a regional tour to deliver wellbeing workshops in communities that may not otherwise have the same access to mental health services.