Jordyn Gray is not just an advocate for survivors—she is a trailblazing leader driving policy reform to ensure institutional accountability and meaningful change. With expertise in governance, policy implementation, and survivor-centred advocacy, the 2025 Global Voices Menzies Fellow is reshaping military and veteran support systems to prioritise survivor well-being at their core.
As the Founder of The Athena Project, Jordyn has developed a platform dedicated to empowering survivors of sexual violence in the defence community. The Athena Project combines survivor advocacy with practical policy reform, ensuring that survivor voices are amplified in leadership conversations and institutional decision-making.
Her leadership is guided by the belief that proactive policies, rather than reactive crisis management, are essential for lasting reform. For too long, institutional responses to sexual violence within the defence community have been shaped by reactive measures. Jordyn challenges this status quo with a comprehensive framework for change built on three key pillars:
- Prevention: Embedding survivor-informed education and leadership training within the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to challenge entrenched stereotypes and establish clear standards for accountability.
- Survivor-Centred Support: Creating structured, compassionate responses to ensure every survivor receives the support they need, with healing and justice prioritized over bureaucratic resistance.
- Improved Reporting Mechanisms: Establishing transparent, accessible pathways for survivors to report misconduct without fear of retaliation, dismissal, or systemic failure.
Jordyn’s expertise was further enriched through her recent participation in the 2025 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York. Engaging with international policymakers, gender equality advocates, and governance experts allowed her to integrate global best practices into her proposed reforms, ensuring her framework aligns with trauma-informed models worldwide.
Reflecting on her Fellowship journey thus far, Jordyn shared, “The three days in Canberra were incredibly insightful, and it was fantastic to connect with fellows from all three delegations beyond my own. With some meetings and briefings tailored to our specific delegation topics and others focused on deepening our understanding of policy creation and development, I found it both fascinating and valuable to learn from such a wealth of knowledge and experience in policy and diplomacy.”
Her involvement with as 2025 Global Voices Menzies Fellow provides a critical platform for refining her policy approach, fostering peer collaboration, and amplifying her advocacy on the international stage; empowering Jordyn to expand her impact, connecting her with key stakeholders to translate survivor experiences into meaningful legislative action.
Reflecting on her future ambitions, Jordyn remarked, “I’m most looking forward to traveling to the United Nations in New York City with my delegation to attend the Commission on the Status of Women, deepening my connections with them, and engaging with both Australian and international leaders working to improve the lives of women worldwide.”
However, Jordyn’s leadership transcends policy papers and advocacy meetings. She exemplifies the change she champions—demonstrating an unwavering commitment to challenging institutional complacency and ensuring that survivors of sexual violence are not only heard but empowered.
As Jordyn continues to build momentum for systemic reform, her bold, informed, and determined leadership sets a powerful example of what survivor-centred advocacy should look like: fearless, empathetic, and unrelenting in the pursuit of justice.
To learn more about Jordyn and The Athena Project and how you can support its mission, visit The Athena Project.
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The Foundation’s work emphasises the imperative of building a non-siloed coalition of the willing to explore and build a new leadership paradigm which engenders confidence in our leaders, builds collaborative capacity and best positions each of us to step forward with the attributes and ability to navigate the complexities of an increasingly challenging and polarised world.
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