Turia Pitt: 'Our little boys play a huge role in combating gender inequality'
By Bianca Farmakis|
"I thought our leaders have been disappointing," Turia Pitt tells 9Honey.?
"I don't think they've stepped up to the plate of addressing these real issues affecting women and men, and there's been a real lack of empathy at times."
The four-time author and Australian personality synonymous with both the triumph through adversity, and the joy of having a laugh or two, discusses the absence of empathy dominating national conversations about consent and respect.
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In the decade since Pitt suffered a life-altering injury, sustaining burns to 65 per cent of her body during an ultra marathon in the outback, a commitment to kindness has underpinned her work.?
Behind closed doors, the mum of two says teaching empathy has been pivotal in informing the way she educates her sons Hakavai and Rahiti, as they grow up in the groundswell of the country's shifting culture around respect.
"For so long we've had conversations about protecting our girls and what they can do to stop violence against women," Pitt explains.?
"But our little boys play a huge role in combating gender inequality."
"We try to do that by modelling a healthy relationship at home, making them aware consent is a conversation you should always be having in a number of contexts, just even being kind to one another."?
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While Pitt acknowledges her sons are still young and refrains from having "the talk" just yet, she stresses setting an "example of positive behaviour" builds the path to "raising beautiful humans."?
"We stress how kindness is more than just an attitude to them, but it's a feeling that really guides your morality - in every kind of situation, romantic or not," Pitt shares.?
"I think when you're kind to others it helps you improve your self-image and create really great connections,"
"You build a whole community around you that is the exact same."?
Kindness, Pitt describes, is often caught in the simplest moments that we regularly miss among the noise of our everyday lives.?
"Someone fell over crossing the road on the streets of Sydney and people passing by just ran to this man to help him get on his feet," Pitt says, recalling a moment of kindness she witnessed recently.
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"It was just a random man at a random time, but it was such a pure instance of kindness that you would've otherwise missed if you were wrapped up in your phone or your day."
Releasing her book Happy (and Other Ridiculous Aspirations) during the pandemic year, Pitt is no stranger to recognising the difficult reality of achieving the simple emotion.
Addressing the "negative vice" in our minds that often leaves us focused "in on the awful things happening,", Pitt combats the moments of vitriol she receives as a public figure with the mantra: "not everyone's gonna love me or like me."
"When you're passionate about certain issues, it's going to turn people away from you," Pitt explains, adding "but you have to stay authentic about what you want to do and not be dictated by what other people think."
Despite residing along the shores of NSW's south coast, Pitt touches on the value of "self-care" in informing one's capacity to be kind.
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"When we're discussing kindness and spreading love and empathy, we've got to remember it's also about being kind to ourselves," she shares.?
"I mean seriously, if I don't prioritise that time for myself, I end up being s----y and annoyed at everyone, and you don't become the best person you can be or set a better example for others.?
Taking on a role as an ambassador for the company whose name embodies her mission, Kynd, Pitt has collaborated with the supplements brand in what she calls a "marriage of values".?
The supplement company marks a nation first, donating one immunity product for every Kynd product sold to women's shelters and people experiencing homelessness, in order to inform a cycle of kindness.
Pairing her love of fitness, environmental sustainability, and spreading joy, Pitt says her ambassadorship "represents everything I hope to stand for."?
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"When we're spreading kindness, we're taking anger, fear and hopelessness out of people's days," she explains.?
"For women who may have had to go to shelters because of domestic violence, or people experiencing homelessness, having something that reminds you people care about you is so important to feeling valued."?
Describing kindness, Pitt says, is something that baffles even those of us who have a lifetime of experience and memories to explain it.
When it comes to defining the idea to her young sons, Pitt says: "kindness is an outlook, not an outcome."
"It pushes us towards a brighter place."
