Former Australian of the Year Rosie Batty knows better than anyone how difficult Mother’s Day can be. In 2014, her son, Luke, was murdered by his father, a shocking tragedy that upended her life and drove her to start campaigning against family violence. But she also experienced a much earlier loss that has shaped her feelings about Mother’s Day from a young age. “My mum died when I was six, and so Mother’s Day to me was always, ‘Well, I don’t have a mum to buy a card for’,
or’,” Batty told Inside Retail.
“I’ve always realised that for some people, it can remind you of what you haven’t got in your life; what you wish for.”
It’s only recently that Batty has been able to reflect on the important role that many different women played in her life growing up; they simply didn’t answer to the name ‘mum’.
“My grandmother was the most important woman in my life, and she lived until she was 100. She was able to be that significant person that meant an awful lot to me, as have my aunties, and some people in the community. My English teacher, Miss Morris, really believed in me,” she said.
“These people, these women, influence you in ways that you don’t always realise.”
That is the key message of Target Australia’s new Mother’s Day campaign, which Batty is helping to promote.
Rosie Batty is part of Target Australia’s new Mother’s Day campaign. (Source: Supplied)
Making Mother’s Day more inclusive
Called All That She Is, the campaign aims to extend the traditional Mother’s Day messaging to all women who play an important role in the life of a child, from biological, adoptive and foster care mums, to caregivers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, teachers, counsellors, and mums who don’t have their children in their arms.
“It doesn’t matter what your title is,” Batty said. “It could be a teacher, it could be a caregiver, it could be a neighbour, and that person can change the trajectory of a child’s life – just to know that someone believes in them, loves them, is there for them.”
As part of the campaign, Target Australia is launching a range of limited-edition tote bags designed with positive affirmations, such as ‘you’re inspirational; you’re vibrant’ and ‘you’re unique; you’re one-of-a-kind’.
The bags will be available in stores and online from 7 April, with $2 from every sale going directly to the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF), Target Australia’s long-term charity partner, which Batty also supports as an ambassador.
“It’s a wonderful organisation that works with very vulnerable children, and their expertise really changes children’s lives,” Batty explained. “This campaign helps support those families who desperately need additional support.”
In particular, the campaign will support the ACF’s Bringing Up Great Kids program, which aims to empower mothers to provide the nurturing and reparative care required by children to recover from the traumatic impacts of abuse and family violence.
It is Target Australia’s second major fundraising initiative for the ACF since they announced their partnership in October 2021. The retailer also launched a special set of Christmas pyjamas last December, where $2 from every pair sold went to the charity.
Focus on families
Target Australia’s head of community Kate Thiedeman says the retailer considered a number of different organisations before deciding to partner with ACF, noting that the charity’s focus on children and families makes it a good fit for the business.
“It seemed like we could talk to our customers about things that were really important to them, and not just because they were parents – ACF has resources for everybody,” she told Inside Retail.
Thiedeman hopes that Target Australia can help amplify the ACF’s message and reach people who may not be aware of its services.
“Things like the tote bags and the little messages hopefully float through and spark a thought process for parents or carers out there,” she said.