2016 was the year everyday Australian women took the power back.

We are hearing a lot about how 2016 was a “bad” year, especially for women. And it’s exhausting.

We have to remind ourselves of the good things that have happened, alongside the “I-never-could-imagine” and “for-all-the-progress-we’ve-made”. A friend of mine is having a baby. Another got engaged. A friend at work got a well-deserved promotion.

There have been other victories, too — bigger than my social circle.

Women in Australia have caused real change this year. Positive change. In 2016, women were responsible for eight of the 10 biggest social change victories of 2016 on Change.org — a website where everyday people can start a petition for change. These women have changed federal laws and influenced huge supermarket chains. They’ve fought to decriminalise medicinal cannabis; raised $500 million in relief for dairy farmers; and saved 26 lives by cutting the waiting list for a life-saving cancer operation.

Below is a list of the nine biggest "victories" of women change-makers on Change.org from 2016. A "victory" is when the decision maker grants the ask of a petitioner. The petitions from the women below attracted more than 10,000 signatures, and resulted in real, tangible, positive change. 

See? 2016 wasn't all bad.

"Decriminalise the use of medicinal cannabis for people with terminal cancer like my son." - Lucy Haslam, NSW

"After a three year battle, first started on behalf of their terminally ill son Dan, Tamworth couple Lucy Haslam, a former nurse, and Lou Haslam, a former drugs squad police officer, changed the federal law in February 2016, to decriminalise medicinal cannabis," Gary Nunn, the Communications Director from Change.org, told Mamamia.

"It’s the second biggest win in the history of Change.org in Australia, with 251,000 on their petition and official responses below it from all major parties."

"Barnaby Joyce: dairy farmers are facing a daily struggle - please step in urgently" - Chloe Scott, VIC

"A 16-year-old schoolgirl persuaded the Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce to review the milk pricing system and offer a $500m relief package for battling dairy farmers like her dad," Nunn said.

"Chloe became the ‘face’ of the campaign to tackle the dairy crisis and met with senior MPs. Mr Joyce personally called Chloe and issued official responses on her petition, granting her ask and recognising her campaigning efforts."

"Appeal the decision reducing Gerard Baden-Clay's murder conviction to manslaughter" - Nicole Morris

"Nicole spoke for many when she expressed her dismay at the manslaughter conviction for domestic violence perpetrator Gerard Baden-Clay," Nunn said.

Baden-Clay was convicted for murdering his wife by a Queensland jury in 2014, but the state's Court of Appeal downgraded this to manslaughter in December last year.

In August, 2016, the High Court reinstated his conviction to murder. "[Nicole's] petition became a place where the public could express their desire for justice for Allison," Nunn said.

"Don’t let me die waiting for cancer surgery - I’m begging you Health Minister, act now" - Galy O’Connor NSW

"Fitness instructor and mum of six, Galy was on death row for a perfectly curable cancer – because NSW Government refused to fund extra surgery places for the life-saving op she urgently needed," Nunn said.

"Galy would’ve died on the waiting list unless it was cut. Her successful campaign saved 25 lives before Christmas, and resulted in Mike Baird calling her personally to promise she’d be operated on before it’s too late."

"ALDI Australia: hens are suffering in these cruel cages - please stop selling cage eggs!"- Angelina Popovski, VIC

"16-year-old Angelina’s successful ask that supermarket giant Aldi stop stocking caged eggs began as a school project," Nunn explained.

"When her teacher suggested it become a petition, things took off: Billboards outside Aldi; customers being shown life for chickens in cages; and, ultimately, Aldi agreeing to go cage-free."

"Killing Indigenous Australians is not a game!" - Georgia Mantle, NSW

According to Georgia's petitions, Survival Island 3 - Australia Story 3D was a game available on a number of App stores that encourages players to fight and kill Aboriginals to survive.

"The game shamelessly promotes the fact that you will “have to fight with aboriginals” and uses warning messages like, “Beware of Aborigines!” when Indigenous people appear on screen. The game portrays Indigenous Australian’s as violent and aggressive," the Change.org petition reads.

"The App Stores that sold this app and its developers should be held accountable for not only promoting racism but profiting off it."

Nunn explained, "When Georgia discovered a computer game encouraging the killing of Indigenous Australians, she targeted Amazon, who removed it within 24 hours of her petition being started."

"Ask NSW ODPP to justify why two men are avoiding prosecution for rape and death of woman." - Carolyn Priest, NSW

"When Aboriginal woman Lynette Daley was allegedly violently raped and murdered and left to die on a beach, two prime suspects escaped prosecution," Nunn told Mamamia. 

"Carolyn’s petition successfully persuaded the Department of Prosecutions to charge and prosecute the two men suspected of killing her."

Two men have been charged over the death of Lynette Daley at Ten Mile Beach in northern New South Wales in January 2011.

Ms Daley, 33, was on a camping trip with her boyfriend, Adrian Attwater, and his friend, Paul Maris, in January 2011. Her body was found bruised and bloody on the beach, and an autospy revealed she had died from blunt force genital tract trauma. Both Attwater and Maris were charged, and the coroner referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions, but neither of the men were prosecuted.

In June this year, charges were again made for manslaughter and aggravated sexual assault, as well as accessory after the fact to manslaughter and aggravated sexual assault.

"Australian Government: Don't make HECS debt repayments means tested." Monique Horsey

The petition came following a suggestion in the Federal Governments Driving Innovation, Fairness and Excellence discussion paper, according to the post on Change.org. The petition explained that ex-students would be forced to make contributions to their university Help Eligible Commonwealth Supported (HECS) loan before reaching the current threshold of $54,000 per year, if they lived in a high-income earning family. "How is this fair? You do not require an income to take out a HECS help loan to complete your education," the petition reads.

"Monique successfully campaigned for the Government to abolish its plans to make HECS repayments means tested, highlighting the lack of fairness in the plans," Nunn said.

"Please don’t send Banik family away from their home just because Arko has mild autism." - Vicki Christopoulos

Two doctors, Dr Biswajit “Jit” Banik and his wife, Dr Sarmin Sayeed (both internationally qualified medical practitioners), who arrived in Australia in 2007, faced potential deportation just because their son, aged three, was diagnosed with autism.

"Despite their extraordinary personal and academic achievements and contributions to the Australian community over the last nine years, the Australian Government has decided that Sarmin and Jit’s value and personal efforts do not outweigh the ‘burden’ of accepting their child, Arkojeet aged 12, who has mild autism," the petition reads.

The petition was conducted as the couple were appealing the rejection they'd received following their applications for permanent residency, the petition explained. "Following this petition, they were allowed to stay" Nunn said.