Shine Award winner honoured for kindness charity after losing Billie

International Women’s Day (IWD) on Saturday 8 March is an annual celebration of female achievement and a global call to action to keep advancing the cause of equality for all girls and women.

Here at Kids News, we’re so lucky having countless extraordinary girls and women cross our newsdesk. There is a lot to celebrate and we keep our IWD purple pom-poms at the ready not just on March 8 but every day.

Whether it’s an incredible sporting achievement, an amazing invention or scientific find, new medical research for improving or saving lives, a charity dedicated to making the world a better place or just further proof that girls have very big brains too, Kids News has the proud privilege of sharing their stories.

One of those inspirational tales came to Kids News out of a heartbreaking tragedy.

It was during the first Covid pandemic global lockdown in 2020 when Kids News received an email from mum and kindness advocate* Danny Mayson-Kinder.

May 2020 was a crazy and hugely difficult time for the whole of humanity, but Ms Mayson-Kinder’s goal immediately struck a chord at Kids News HQ: “to empower* children to be empathetic* and compassionate* and help them realise that they each have the power to make a difference in the world”.

A registered Australian charity, the B Kinder Foundation was inspired by Ms Mayson-Kinder’s daughter Billie, who died suddenly in May 2016 after a horseriding accident when she was just 12.

The foundation’s “kindness revolution” was the start of Billie’s legacy*. A giant grinner, natural giver as well as a gifted and prolific* young artist and writer, Billie left behind a portfolio of beautiful gifts: her words and pictures, a timeless tribute to a thoughtful, empathetic girl whose kindness lives on.

Ms Mayson-Kinder attended the News Corp Australia IWD event as a VIP guest speaker and overall winner of the 2024 Shine Awards, a joint initiative between The Weekly Times and retailer Harvey Norman.

Reflecting on this year’s #MarchForward theme, Ms Mayson-Kinder said her resolve* and ability to “march forward” after losing her beloved Billie was initially for the other girl in her life: Billie’s equally cherished big sister Charlie.

Since then, Ms Mayson-Kinder’s determination to find positive purpose in her pain has helped countless young Australian children, especially in rural and regional areas. Foundation resources help kids, classes and schools cope with serious challenges such as bullying, loneliness and mental health through interactive wellbeing programs and workbooks.

These resources draw on Billie’s own artworks and writings, posthumously* published in a best-selling book titled Hope.

“It was quite impactful that Billie’s words were touching these kids,” Ms Mayson-Kinder said.

The B Kinder Foundation now runs a range of initiatives like the B Kinder Council, B Kinder Day, school leadership programs, Billie’s Bench, and Walk for a Kinder World events.

With 160 schools participating in B Kinder Day and 58 schools adopting the workbooks, Ms Mayson-Kinder is helping foster* a culture of kindness, underpinning her broad, positive impact on communities across Australia.

“It has become my journey,” she said, after winning the Shine Award. “I am Billie’s voice now. It is very humbling to make a difference. If I have to be here without her, then I have to do something worthwhile.”

This IWD, let’s #MarchForward together for Billie, with kindness in our hearts forever.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Since 19 March, 1911, IWD has been a day for everyone who cares about women’s equality to advocate and celebrate.

Officially recognised by the United Nations in 1977, marking IWD today might mean wearing the distinctive purple ribbon. It might be running a charity bake sale or hosting an IWD breakfast. It might be inviting incredible women in your school community to speak. It might be writing a letter to a girl or woman you admire to let them know you think they’re amazing.

However you choose to celebrate IWD is a valid expression of your own hopes to see a world free of discrimination against girls and women.

This year’s theme #MarchForward is all about progress. UN Women Australia is commemorating* the 30 year anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, when the UN adopted a resolution* to support what was considered the most progressive* blueprint* ever for advancing women’s rights – a global plan to achieve gender equality*.

The UN Women site notes that the annual March 8 date maintains a strong link with women’s movements during the Russian Revolution of 1917 – but women have fought for equal rights, opportunities, and freedom for centuries.

For a fascinating timeline of women’s rights from 1848 to 2025 this IWD, visit the UN Women page, Never backing down: Women march forward for equal rights at unwomen.org/en/articles/timeline/never-backing-down-women-march-forward-for-equal-rights

WATCH THE VIDEO

POLL

GLOSSARY

• advocate: support, promote, champion
• empower: to encourage and support the ability to do something
• empathetic: having the ability to imagine how someone else feels
• compassionate: feeling sympathy and sadness for the suffering of others
• legacy: something lasting that’s passed on to others over time
• prolific: producing a great number or amount of something
• resolve: determination to solve a problem or overcome a difficulty
• posthumously: after the person’s death
• foster: cultivate, encourage, develop
• commemorating: honouring, celebrating, paying tribute to
• resolution: an official decision that is made after a group or organisation has voted
• progressive: relating to progress, favouring or promoting political or social reform
• blueprint: detailed guide or complete plan that explains how to do or develop something
• gender equality: refers to the equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men and girls and boys

EXTRA READING

Top women celebrated in Oz sport

Billie’s kindness lives on

How to make a penpal with purpose

QUICK QUIZ

1. What is the 2025 International Women’s Day theme?
2. When is IWD celebrated each year?
3. How many schools currently participate in B Kinder Day?
4. After which tragic event did Danny Mayson-Kinder start the B Kinder Foundation?
5. This IWD is the 30 year anniversary of which blueprint for advancing women’s rights?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Start a kindness revolution
Think of three ideas or activities that you could organise in your school to help start a kindness revolution in your school or community. Write a detailed plan.

Time: allow at least 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social Capability

2. Extension
There are many well known or famous high achieving, inspiring women. Can you think of a girl or woman you know, who isn’t famous, but is just as inspiring? Write an explanation of who the woman or girl is and why they are inspiring.

Time: allow at least 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social Capability

VCOP ACTIVITY
I spy nouns
Nouns are places, names (of people and objects), and time (months or days of the week).

How many nouns can you find in the article?

Can you sort them into places, names and time?

Pick three nouns and add an adjective (describing word) to the nouns.