Pippa Milthorpe is named International Women's Day Champion

Pippa and her sister, Rose, were 11 and seven at the time they faced their attacker in court.

The experience was "traumatic", as they both endured days of cross examination without a parent, something that, since that day, they have been determined to change.

Last year both sisters went back to court and won the right to say their real names when talking about the ordeal, making them the youngest in Australian history.

Now, on the back of their advocacy, the NSW government have expanded the Child Sexual Evidence Program.

"It was in September last year that we really started getting somewhere," Pippa said. "Rose road from Sydney to Coffs Harbour to raise awareness, and after that we got the attention of some media and from there it just escalated.

"For victims of any sort, especially children, I think it is important for them to have the support that we didn't get.

"We were so young, and not having our family around us as we were going through this, made something that was already difficult, terrible."

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Pippa's mother, Michelle Milthorpe, said that they were not trying to change how the court system runs, but they do want to give children equity in the process.

"Children who have communication difficulties, who can't understand questions in a way that an adult can, have the opportunity now to have things explained to them in a way that means something to them, and give evidence and answer questions in a way that is age appropriate for them," she said.

"It is unimaginable for any parent, it is not something that you ever expect to go through with your children. Our expectations were probably naive in regards to the legal process and we didn't understand what was happening until it happened.

"Our kids were lucky, in a way, because they had a strong support system and on the back of it were able to rally for change for children who aren't so lucky. You know, there are children who are extremely vulnerable, and I can't comprehend what it'd be like for them, so we just hope our effort helps those kids."

"It is important to recognise that yes, we were the ones who spoke up and yes, we are the face of the campaign, but there are people who haven't had as much ease in speaking up, and they are just as important behind the scenes as we were upfront," Pippa said.

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