Tahlia Isaac, Founder and CEO of Project: herSELF, will Address the National Press Club of Australia for the National Press Club and Women in Media International Women’s Day Address.
Australia’s broken social contract, how supporting incarcerated women can reduce crime and create safer communities.
Tahlia Isaac
Tahlia Isaac is the founder and CEO of Project: herSELF, a not-for-profit organisation supporting women in prison and post-release to build self-determined, thriving lives. Drawing on her own lived experience of incarceration, addiction, and recovery, Tahlia combines personal insight with academic expertise (holding a postgraduate degree in Criminology) to advocate for systemic change in Australia’s justice system.
After surviving more than a decade of addiction, three years cycling in and out of custody, and significant experiences of violence, Tahlia rebuilt her life through education, community, and purpose. Her work now centres on the intersections of gender, poverty, trauma, and criminalisation, particularly how “tough on crime” policies harm not only those imprisoned, but the safety and wellbeing of the entire community.
Tahlia is a speaker, writer, and advocate who has delivered keynotes, panel discussions, and media commentary on justice reform, gendered violence, and the social contract. She is known for her ability to weave storytelling with evidence, challenging entrenched narratives about crime and punishment while offering practical, human-centred solutions.
Through Project: herSELF, she works directly with women behind bars and after release, fostering resilience, connection, and pathways into employment. Her leadership has inspired cross-sector collaborations with community services, policymakers, and industry partners, aimed at reducing recidivism and building safer communities.
Tahlia’s lived experience, combined with her policy knowledge and on-the-ground work, positions her as a unique and credible voice in Australia’s justice reform conversation.
Tahlia Isaac, Founder and CEO of Project: herSELF, will Address the National Press Club of Australia for the National Press Club and Women in Media International Women’s Day Address.
