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To celebrate International Day of the Girl on October 11th, Witchery teamed up with Plan International Australia – the charity for girls’ equality, to shine a light on why diverse female representation is important – online, in the media, on the sports field and beyond.
Witchery is proud to partner with Plan International Australia to jointly celebrate how diverse, educated, empowered girls, become the women our world needs.
On Sunday October 10th, together with Future Women, Witchery teamed up for an inspiring Facebook live event to explore the power of role models, for girls in all their diversities. Star AFLW player Akec Makur Chuot joined the event panel, sharing incredible reflections about her childhood spent in a refugee camp, and the women who have inspired her since, as she’s reached for her dreams.
Below, we talk to her about everything and everyone that has helped shaped her into the well-rounded, ambitious and benevolent person she is today.
Tell us about yourself – who is Akec Makur Chuot?
I am a sister, a daughter, a friend and an aunty to my beautiful ninjas. Overall, I’m a jack of all trades.
I am loud, friendly, passionate, caring and bring humour into a lot of situations. I always have a smile on my face, I love dancing and bringing all sorts of energy to my experiences.
Tell us about your journey in AFL, how you got to where you are today.
I originally started playing soccer at the age of 11, when I first came to Australia. At age 18, I decided to give up my soccer journey and pursue a career in AFL. At first, I wanted to try something new, and footy was that sport for me. I remembered playing in an All-Girls Carnival with the East Perth Royals Football Club when I was in year 10 at high school. This memory remains with me because I felt a sense of belonging I hadn't felt in any other sports on that day, and this is what made deciding to play footy years later super easy.
In 2013, I joined the Mount Lawley Hawks Women's team and played my first official season. After a couple of months of playing, the WA Women's State Team selected me to be a part of their team, and we competed in the championships in Cairns. After this successful year, I joined the Swan District Football club.
In 2016, the inaugural AFLW drafts took place, and the Fremantle Dockers picked me up at pick 139. It was a pinch-myself-moment for me. I was the first African woman to play in the AFLW competition, and above all else, I wanted to show young girls from diverse backgrounds like me that anything is possible.
In 2018, I moved across to Melbourne from Perth to keep pursuing my footy dreams. I played with the Carlton Football Club in the VFLW Competition before moving to the Richmond Football Club in 2019 to play in the VFLW Program before being elevated to the club's inaugural AFLW Season in 2020.
“In this technology-mad world, we often find ourselves trying to change ourselves just to fit in – don't do that. You don't need to fit in – be unique, be you, be confident in all your abilities and be comfortable with what you bring to this world.”
When you’re not playing or training, what is Akec doing?
When I am not playing footy, I am studying a Diploma of Health and Wellbeing at Torrens University. It’s been a nice change to learn during these extended lockdowns in Melbourne. I also work two casual jobs: as a disability support worker and in agency work as a Relay team member. I am currently working towards launching my own online business, which should be online at the end of November, plus, my ambassador roles with Cadbury Australia among others.
I also enjoy nice downtime at home when I am not too busy. I like listening to music, watching movies, cooking traditional South Sudanese dishes and sewing.
We’ve witnessed a real spike in female participation in sport in Australia – in part thanks to the huge success of the AFLW and athletes like you. How does it feel to be a role model?
Being a role model to me is a great honour and something I don't take for granted. When I was growing up, I always just wanted to inspire people to go after their dreams. I am so blessed to have older siblings who all lead by example, and this meant it was easy to follow in their footsteps. It’s vital for us female athletes to be visible, tell our stories and encourage the next generation of sports stars along the way. You can't be what you can't see.
The reception from my community has been very positive as they see the importance of having female role models in sports. Women in sports is becoming a normal conversation back home in South Sudan, and it's nice to know that my story can help motivate young women to be physically active and chase whatever dreams they have. Sometimes knowing that people are looking to you for inspiration drives you more to never give up.
“In this technology-mad world, we often find ourselves trying to change ourselves just to fit in – don't do that. You don't need to fit in – be unique, be you, be confident in all your abilities and be comfortable with what you bring to this world.”
What have been your career highlights to date?
I have had many highlights over the years in my career. The first highlight for me was being drafted in the history-breaking AFLW inaugural season; that's not something that you can forget easily – it's a moment that forever stays with you.
Another highlight for me was when I moved to Melbourne four years ago to pursue my career further. It was scary as I had to leave my family back home in Perth, but I am so glad I decided to move as I have grown and gotten so much from my career over the years. I was a part of a historical moment for the Richmond Football Club, as they entered the AFLW competition for season 2020.
Being an Ambassador for Cadbury's National Women in Sport – Get In The Game initiative has been another highlight. The program aims to keep women, especially young girls, engaged in sport. It's been such a significant role to take on as this inspires and enables young girls to have role models to look up to and encourages them to continue participating in sports.
You’re a big advocate for being comfortable and confident in your own skin. What advice do you have to women reading this?
The advice I would give to women reading this is to own who they are. There can only be one of you; that's pretty unique when you own you; it's easy for everyone to take note and take you as you are. In this technology-mad world, we often find ourselves trying to change ourselves just to fit in – don't do that. You don't need to fit in – be unique, be you, be confident in all your abilities and be comfortable with what you bring to this world.
You spent 11 years of your childhood in Kakuma, a Kenyan refugee camp, before arriving in Australia at the age of 12. Tell us about this time in your life and what coming to Australia meant for you and your family.
Kakuma was home; it provided stability, safety and some continuity to live everyday life. We were able to study and play with our friends. My mum had a small restaurant which we helped her out with after school. I remember starting the process coming to Australia; it took over nine years to apply for a visa to come here. It was a long process, but it was such a great relief when we finally received the approval. I was so excited for my mother, Helana Yar Enoch. As a single parent, she had done everything in her power to give us a better life and coming to Australia meant better education and opportunities for my siblings and me.
We arrived in Perth, Western Australia, on a lovely May night. I was super nervous and excited at what would be an incredible sixteen years of discovering our new home. My siblings and I didn't waste any time making the opportunities that were given to us.
Who is a role model that inspires you?
Role models that inspire me are my mother, Helena Yar Enoch, and my older sister Ayor Makur Chuot.
My mother is incredible in how she raised us; her strength, vision, determination, and spirit is why I am the person I am today. She gave up her dreams and education to ensure we had the best of everything. She continues to provide wisdom, advice, love and guidance in my journey.
My older sister Ayor Makur Chuot is also an inspiration to me. She has achieved so much in her modelling career, as a young mother and now a newly elected member of parliament for the Australian Labor Party as a member of the Legislative Council for the North Metropolitan Region. Her leadership, determination and drive inspired me to have similar ambitions. She has played such an integral part in my life over the years; she has become more than my older sister.
You recently appeared as a panellist for Plan International’s International Day of the Girl event. What is this cause and why is it important to you?
International Day of the Girl is a day that recognises girl’s rights and the unique challenges that girls face around the world. This year’s theme was ‘Digital Generation. Our generation’, it was great being on the panel with three role models from diverse backgrounds.
It's important because young women now have access to role models that they can see themselves in. I understood why representation matters and why it's great to have these conversations to share our stories and hopefully inspire young people along the way.
As a female athlete, I advocate for young women who come into the sports five to 10 years from now to fulfil their sporting aspirations without limitations. To be full-time professional athletes instead of juggling many jobs outside their sporting careers and to have the freedom and flexibility to have a long-lasting sporting career.
According to Plan International Australia's research, 60% of young Australian women said their diversities were not represented in the role models they had access to when they were younger.
Why do you feel representation is important and what would better representation have meant to you when you were a girl?
Representation is important as you can sometimes see yourself in the stories of people who have similar backgrounds. When you see a role model that looks like you, this encourages and breaks down the barriers that might have been in the way.
Better representation for me when I was younger would have meant having a broader scope of what was possible for me.
How can people support Plan International?
I encourage people to support Plan's work by donating to them, sharing Plan International Australia’s work on their social media and to their friends and finding out more about how they can volunteer.
They work in almost 80 countries and research has proven that girls have been hardest hit by COVID-19 globally and the pandemic threatens to undo decades of progress made by organisations like Plan International. In times of crisis, it is often girls who face the greatest violation of their rights. They face a greater risk of gender-based violence, of having their education permanently stopped, of being married off early, of teenage pregnancy and sexual violence, and of being fed least and last. By standing with girls and empowering them to know their rights and lead, we can work towards a better, more equal world for all. Because a better now for her means a better future for everyone.
I personally believe it is so necessary to continue supporting the work of Plan International Australia to ensure a better future for all of our young daughters, sisters, cousins, and girls worldwide. They deserve to be given the tools and resources to have an education, to have dreams and be safe and thrive in this world. I feel very passionate about this.
What’s next for Akec Makur Chuot?
I am training four days a week with my Richmond Tigers sisters as we prepare for the AFLW season kicking off in January. Footy takes up a big chunk of my time during this time, and that's usually my biggest priority.
I am starting up my online business and finishing off my diploma. I am always on the move, busy and trying my best to engage in initiatives that promote and encourage young dreamers and leaders.