ABOUT
WHO WE ARE
WHAT WE DO
OUR FOUNDER
The Athena Project is a veteran and victim-survivor founded organisation based on Jagera and Turrbal Land in Brisbane, Meanjin, Australia. The Project was born in 2023 as a mechanism to support Australian veterans, and spouses, who have survived incidents of sexual violence whilst in service. The idea for the project came from our Founding Director, Jordyn, who as a veteran and victim-survivor of sexual assault, knew that the loneliness and heartbreak she experienced was not hers alone to bare. And so, she transformed her pain into power, to alleviate further heartache for other women veterans and to concurrently bring a community of empowered veterans together to create change.
WHAT WE DO
The Athena Project’s priority purpose is to support victim-survivors through victim-led support initiatives and by creating a safe space to be seen, heard and believed. The Project has since grown as a tool for education to the wider Defence and Veteran communities, as well as advocating for policy changes to inform the future of lived experiences for victim-survivors within service.
WHO WE ARE
OUR FOUNDER JORDYN'S STORY
OUR FOUNDER | JORDYN'S STORY
Jordyn enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in 2016 as an 18 year old from Kingscliff, New South Wales, and graduated the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2018 as a Logistics Officer.
During her career Jordyn was posted to Canberra, Tindal and Amberley and completed varying roles as a trained Logistics Officer both on bases and on domestic exercises. Jordyn medically separated from the Air Force in April 2023 and concurrently stepped into the role of a Senior Consultant at Deloitte. Jordyn specialised in Behavioural Asset Management in the Climate and Engineering Team and did extensive work in the mining and energy sectors as well as with the internal Deloitte gender and social impact team.
Jordyn became a victim-survivor of sexual assault in 2020 and subsequently found herself navigating a challenging road filled with mental health struggles, administrative push-back and legal uncertainty. She founded The Athena Project in April 2023, as not only a support and advocacy organisation for women veteran survivors of sexual violence but also as a voice to change the future lived experiences for women veterans, who may experience an incident of sexual violence during their service. Jordyn hopes to be able to use her voice and experience in public, professional and keynote speaking to bring greater awareness to the discussion of experiences of sexual violence in military service and the lack of adequate support that she, and countless others, have received at the hands of the Australian Defence Force and Australian Judicial systems.
Jordyn is committed to changing the narrative and educating others about the reality of women who experience sexual and gender based violence during service. She completed a Bachelor of Business at UNSW Canberra and is currently completing a Graduate Certificate of Gender, Peace and Security at Monash University. Jordyn is a proud ally for all people, especially members of the LGBTIQ+ and First Nations Communities, and is a vocal advocate for all matters of social justice. Jordyn lives in Brisbane with her partner Nick and their two cats, Sofia and the aptly named Athena. She loves to travel, read and is known for her love of baking sweet treats.
Jordyn enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in 2016 as an 18 year old from Kingscliff, New South Wales, and graduated the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2018 as a Logistics Officer.
During her career Jordyn was posted to Canberra, Tindal and Amberley and completed varying roles as a trained Logistics Officer both on bases and on domestic exercises. Jordyn medically separated from the Air Force in April 2023 and concurrently stepped into the role of a Senior Consultant at Deloitte. Jordyn specialised in Behavioural Asset Management in the Climate and Engineering Team and did extensive work in the mining and energy sectors as well as with the internal Deloitte gender and social impact team.
Jordyn became a victim-survivor of sexual assault in 2020 and subsequently found herself navigating a challenging road filled with mental health struggles, administrative push-back and legal uncertainty. She founded The Athena Project in April 2023, as not only a support and advocacy organisation for women veteran survivors of sexual violence but also as a voice to change the future lived experiences for women veterans, who may experience an incident of sexual violence during their service. Jordyn hopes to be able to use her voice and experience in public, professional and keynote speaking to bring greater awareness to the discussion of experiences of sexual violence in military service and the lack of adequate support that she, and countless others, have received at the hands of the Australian Defence Force and Australian Judicial systems.
Jordyn is committed to changing the narrative and educating others about the reality of women who experience sexual and gender based violence during service. She completed a Bachelor of Business at UNSW Canberra and is currently completing a Graduate Certificate of Gender, Peace and Security at Monash University. Jordyn is a proud ally for all people, especially members of the LGBTIQ+ and First Nations Communities, and is a vocal advocate for all matters of social justice. Jordyn lives in Brisbane with her partner Nick and their two cats, Sofia and the aptly named Athena. She loves to travel, read and is known for her love of baking sweet treats.
Greek mythology is filled with beautiful myths and legends that are told of the Gods and Goddesses who shaped society, won fantastic battles and overcame heroic challenges. The goddess Athena was the daughter of Zeus. It was said, she was born – fully formed and adorned in battle armour ready to fight. She is associated as the goddess of wisdom, craft and warfare and is the sister of Ares, the God of War. Athena is a symbol of sheer strength and determination and never let her femininity limit or silence her. She is a symbol of strength, courage and is equipped with a powerful mind for strategy and logic. She is known for her empowerment, strength and heroic endeavours – particularly in showing up her male counterparts which we, of course love!
THE STORY OF ATHENA
Who is Athena & why is the Project named after her?
The story of choosing a name for The Project was not easy for our Founder, and it in fact took two separate signs from the Universe for her to realise that the name destined for this organisation had been close by all along.
The First Sign
The second Sign
When Jordyn, and her partner Nick, moved in together in December 2021, they decided to adopt a kitten. Nick, having known Jordyn for less than two months was unaware of her deep interest and love of Greek mythology. Not knowing this, Nick suggested the name “Athena” for the kitten because, in his words, she was ‘quite brave, bold and seemed stronger than the others.’ Jordyn agreed, and so, they brought home “Athena” (pictured below) and my goodness did she take after her namesake - although she is much more war like, than she is wise!
The second sign was at a Sunshine Coast market. On a random Saturday, Jordyn an Nick took a trip to Eumundi to enjoy a coffee, some food and the sunshine. After walking past a stall with hand drawn contemporary artworks from a local artist there was something about an image that jumped out at Jordyn. She seemed drawn to it. When the artist asked Jordyn if she would like to ‘meet’ the feminine figure she had chosen there was no way she could have known who she had chosen – from a pile of over 50 portraits. The Artist flipped through her folder of cards and biographies introduced Nick and Jordyn to ‘Athena,’ - the deity and goddess of the sun, moon and water.
And so, when the time came to choose a name, there was no going past Jordyn’s connection to the goddess Athena and the power she possessed. The Athena Project was born, with the hope that one day the strength, bravery and power that Athena is, would unite women veterans and their allies. At a presentation, shortly after soft-launching The Project, Jordyn spoke with a lovely lady who came from a Greek family. She told Jordyn, that in addition to all that Athena was and is, that she was always on the winning side and to Jordyn, that felt like an omen and a sign that This Project and the community behind it, were bound to go places.
The Birth of a Movement
Every visual aspect created for The Athena Project was crafted with intention. From the hand drawn eucalyptus illustrations seen in the logo and brand elements to the carefully curated colour palette and chosen typography, this brand is backed by intentionality. A unique touch that was included in the brand identity was the inclusion of eucalyptus, Australian flora, as it symbolises strength, protection, and abundance. First Nations people practiced burning eucalyptus leaves to purify and negate negative energy and saw eucalyptus as a sacred plant. The circular shape of the illustration represents the connection and unity of people coming together as one which ties heavily back to the core values of this project.
Behind the Brand
“Fundamentally, Jordyn’s approach when assisting victim-survivors is led with deep empathy and is trauma-informed. Her skills in advocacy are underpinned by a comprehensive understanding of policy and procedure when supporting those who are at their most vulnerable; victims of harassment, abuse, and/or further victimisation by systems of power. I met Jordyn last year when I was faced with my own case of sexual harassment and further victimisation in a workplace. She ensured that my emotions and thoughts were valid and justified, she made me feel safe and that I was not losing my mind. She was an anchor for me when I felt completely lost at sea. Jordyn also helped me draft emails, find policy documents and overall held my hand and helped me to get through one of the lowest points of my life. Knowing Jordyn’s story, and what inspired the genesis of The Athena Project has only furthered my sincerest respect for her strength, selflessness and her fearless aspirations for fairer systems and outcomes for victim-survivors. Systems in which the victim-survivor is prioritised, heard, respected, and vindicated. I cannot wait to see what The Athena Project will achieve.”
Caity M
survivor testimonial
“We were fortunate to have Jordyn present “A Different Perspective” to a Convocation for women aviators in technical trades. Her strength and compassion are as evident as her ambition and motivation to change how veterans and serving members experience the way the ADF deals with instances of sexual misconduct. Feedback from convocation participants was overwhelmingly positive, with many women rating Jordyn’s presentation as the most valuable of the 2 day event. Jordyn is warm and engaging, relatable, and a formidable force for change. I highly recommend Jordyn and The Athena Project to any organisation looking for a frank and fearless speaker with an incredible story to tell.”
KEY NOTE TESTIMONIAL
Cait T. Air Force
FAQ'S
The Athena Project is at its core a veteran support organisation. The core service of the Athena Project, The Survivor Advocate Network, is a service accessible to all veterans and their partners including: current serving members, previous serving members and their spouses. For related services also offered by The Athena Project and its founder, these can be accessed, utilised and engaged by any organisation, individual or group looking to learn, understand or assist in our mission.
Who can use and access The Athena Project?
FAQ'S
How does The Athena Project work?
The Athena Project is a not-for-profit organisation that runs on the power of its volunteers. The support advocacy network consists of a network of beautiful souls who volunteer their time to be available if and when, a victim-survivor may require their support in a moment of crisis. Our volunteers submit an expression of interest to become an advocate and they are then interviewed and vetted by our team. Once they have been offered a volunteer role of an advocate they complete a training module designed to promote understanding, empathy, compassion as well as outline the expectations of them in their role as an advocate. They are then listed on The Athena Project website, as an active advocate and if a victim-survivor in their locality requires an advocate they will connect with the victim-survivor and provide services of an advocate.
As for the additional and bespoke services offered by The Project, this operates on an as required and as engaged basis by liaison with our Founder and Director, Jordyn. Jordyn has extensive experience as a Keynote Speaker and Advocate and offers services of consulting, presenting, panel speaking amongst a myriad of other skills to corporate entities, Defence units and teams who are aligned with The Project’s mission and invested in the lives of veteran victim-survivors.
FAQ'S
Do I contact The Athena Project if I am in immediate danger?
No. If you are in immediate danger please call 000 (if in Australia) or the global emergency number 112. The Athena Project is unable to provide assistance in an emergency, so if your safety is at risk please contact emergency services.
FAQ'S
Is The Athena Project only for women?
To be upfront, gender is a spectrum and all genders experience violence within our veteran communities. The Athena Project welcomes advocates from all genders and is a service available to all genders. The Project acknowledges that there are certain demographics who make up the majority of victim-survivors of sexual and gender based violence and in this way offer some select services and community groups for specifically female-identifying members. However, everyone is welcome at The Athena Project and it is a safe place for all people, no matter your gender, identity, sexual preference or experience.
FAQ'S
How can I access a victim-support advocate?
To access our victim-survivor advocate service please CLICK HERE. This will prompt you to send an email which will be received by our team and flagged as a priority. As we grow this process will evolve. Do not fret if there are no volunteers in your locality, some of our advocates are able to travel to your locality to provide support. Alternatively, if you are more comfortable with an advocate service being delivered over the phone, this can also be arranged. You are also welcome to email The Athena Project directly at hello@theathenaproject.com.au to engage with our services.
FAQ'S
Do I have to have Australian Defence Force experience to be a part of The Athena Project?
Not at all! Whilst it is helpful to have an understanding of the dynamics at play in The Australian Defence Force, it is not a requirement of our advocates to have service experience or exposure. We welcome advocates from all backgrounds as we believe the core of being an advocate is not about a shared employment history, but the compassion people have for one another. Our training module covers an introduction to the ADF for all advocates to allow for common understanding and assistance in navigating processes and terminology specific to Defence that may be experienced by victim-survivors.
FAQ'S
How do I become an advocate?
All Athena Project advocates are selected and vetted prior to becoming active advocates. You can submit your expression of interest to be an Athena Project advocate and read more about the process HERE.
FAQ'S
How do I attend the monthly MeetUp?
To attend the monthly Veteran & Defence Community MeetUp, follow these steps:
1. Visit The Survivor Hub website.
2. Navigate to the registration section for the MeetUps.
3. Register for the Veteran & Defence Community MeetUp, which is held on the second Thursday of every month at 6:30 pm AEST.
4. After registration, you will receive a confirmation email with details on how to join the online MeetUp.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact The Athena Project team via this website or seek further support from the team at The Survivor Hub via their website.
FAQ'S
